Trump says Starmer ‘hurt himself badly’ after UK resignation announcement
TLE DESK: US President Donald Trump on Monday criticised outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer after the Labour leader announced plans to step down, saying he had “really hurt himself” through his policies on energy, immigration and relations with Washington.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump described Starmer as “a lovely man” and “sort of a friend”, but argued that the British leader had mishandled key issues during his time in office.
Trump accused Starmer of failing to fully exploit oil and gas resources in the North Sea, claiming Britain had become overly dependent on imported energy while prioritising environmental concerns.
“The UK has a much better portion of the North Sea,” Trump said. “They don’t want to do it for environmental purposes.”
The US president also suggested that Starmer had not been sufficiently supportive of the United States on NATO matters and during the recent conflict involving Iran.
Trump pointed to a disagreement over the use of the British military base at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus during US operations against Iranian targets, saying the British government had initially been reluctant to approve Washington’s request.
“He said we can’t use the island to land. That was a first,” Trump said, adding that Starmer later approved the request but that the delay had been politically damaging.
“I wish him well,” Trump said. “But he’s got two problems: energy and immigration — and crime. But energy and immigration. He’s really hurt himself very, very badly.”
Starmer announced earlier on Monday that he would resign as Labour leader while remaining prime minister during a transition period, following months of pressure from within his party and declining political support after poor performances in local and regional elections.
Labour veteran Andy Burnham is widely regarded as the leading contender to succeed Starmer after returning to Parliament. If selected, Burnham would become Britain’s seventh prime minister in the past decade.
