The US President said the Prime Minister has failed on immigration and energy
Keir Starmer and Donald Trump (Image: Getty)
Sir Keir Starmer will resign after “failing badly” on migration, Donald Trump has said. The US president attacked the Prime Minister amid speculation that he would announce his departure from No 10 as soon as tomorrow. Writing on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump said: “Keir Starmer will resign as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
“He failed badly on two very important subjects – IMMIGRATION AND ENERGY (OPEN NORTH SEA OIL!). I wish him well! President DJT.”
TV host Piers Morgan stuck the knife in as he posted on X: “BREAKING: President Trump confirms Keir Starmer is resigning as Prime Minister… before Starmer has confirmed it himself. The final humiliation.”
Mr Trump and Sir Keir have clashed repeatedly over the two topics in the past 18 months, with the US president calling on the Prime Minister to adopt a stricter border policy. Last month, Mr Trump said it would be “tough” for Sir Keir to survive Labour’s historic defeat in the local election, and called on him to “straighten out immigration” and restart drilling in the North Sea if he wanted to survive.
Donald Trump’s Truth Social post (Image: DX)
Keir Starmer and Donald Trump in friendlier times (Image: Getty)
Meanwhile, Andy Burnham has been mocked as a flip-flopper who would take Britain in the “wrong direction”.
The warning comes amid expectations that he will replace Sir Keir Starmer, who could quit as Prime Minister as soon as tomorrow. Mr Burnham will make a dramatic return to Westminster on Monday to be sworn in as an MP following his victory in last week’s Makerfield by-election.
He is also planning to deliver a rallying cry to Labour backbenchers.
Around 100 Labour MPs have publicly called on Sir Keir to set out a timetable for his departure. Cabinet Ministers have also privately pressured the PM to make way for Mr Burnham, who is rallying mass support.
It is not yet clear that, if the Labour leader resigns, he will go immediately or have a longer “orderly” exit during the summer.
It is understood Mr Burnham’s camp wants Sir Keir to set out his plans in the coming days, but would accept a timetable that kept him in No 10 until September.
Andy Burnham (middle) at the Makerfield by-election result (Image: Getty)
Sources insisted on Sunday that Sir Keir, who spent the weekend discussing his future with his wife Victoria at the PM’s country retreat Chequers, had yet to make a final decision about his future.
But one of his Cabinet allies failed to deny claims that he is poised to quit amid feverish speculation about his future.
Peter Kyle, the Business Secretary, said the Prime Minister is reflecting on the “political realities” he now faces.
This is a stark change from 48 hours earlier when Sir Keir vowed not to walk away from his post in the immediate aftermath of Mr Burnham’s by-election victory.
Pressure has been mounting for weeks Cabinet minister’s Wes Streeting, the former Health Secretary, and ex-Defence Secretary, John Healey, plus a number of junior ministers, resigning since Labour’s humiliating local elections defeats in May.
Mr Kyle told broadcasters on Sunday he had not spoken to the Prime Minister since Friday, when he had a “frank conversation” with him.
Asked about reports Sir Keir is planning to announce his resignation as soon as the coming week, he told the Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme that “whatever unfolds” in the coming days will be a “functional process”.
