US President Donald Trump claimed on Sunday that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer “will resign” as prime minister, wading into intensifying speculation in Britain that Starmer could announce his departure as soon as Monday.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Starmer had “failed badly” on immigration and energy policy, and renewed his long-standing call for Britain to reopen North Sea oil and gas exploration licences, which his government has frozen. It remains unclear whether Trump has specific knowledge of Starmer’s plans or is simply commenting on speculation already swirling in the UK press. According to Britain’s PA Media, Trump has not spoken directly to Starmer since the two met at the G7 summit in France earlier last week.
Downing Street did not directly engage with Trump’s claim. A spokesperson instead pointed reporters to Starmer’s statement from Friday, in which he said he remained focused on serving the country and had nothing further to add at this stage. UK Business Secretary Peter Kyle told the BBC on Sunday that Starmer was weighing “political realities” over the weekend and would ultimately act in the country’s best interests.
British media have widely reported that Starmer could set out a resignation timeline as early as Monday, with support said to be building behind Andy Burnham, the outgoing Manchester mayor, who recently won a closely watched UK by-election and has emerged as a potential successor.
Starmer, once described as a “Trump whisperer” for his ability to manage relations with the US president, has faced a string of public criticisms from Trump in recent weeks, particularly over Britain’s position during the Iran war.
