US Vice President JD Vance has said Britain has been “failed by its leadership for a long time”, in a pointed intervention days before the country prepares to name its seventh prime minister in a decade.
Vance made the remarks in an interview with The Sunday Times, published over the weekend as the United States marked the 250th anniversary of its independence from Britain on July 4.
He praised the country as “such a beautiful country” while arguing that its rapid turnover of leaders pointed to deeper problems. Pointing to six prime ministers in recent years, he said “something is very broken about British politics” and that voters were crying out for structural change.
The comments follow Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s decision to step down. Starmer announced his resignation on June 22 after heavy losses in the May local elections, in which the right-wing Reform UK made sweeping gains and Labour lost control of dozens of councils. His net approval rating had fallen sharply over two years in office.
Starmer would remain in office until his party chooses a successor. Nominations open on July 9, with former Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham the clear frontrunner and, so far, the only declared candidate.
Vance said he hoped Burnham or someone else could get the country “back on track”. He acknowledged knowing little about the Labour lawmaker but stressed that Washington would work with whoever takes office.
The Vice President has repeatedly waded into British and European politics since taking office in January 2025, often over immigration and free speech. He caused anger at the 2025 Munich Security Conference with a speech attacking European democracies over what he described as curbs on free expression.
Vance said his criticism came “from a perspective of love and admiration”, even when it was provocative. His wife Usha studied at the University of Cambridge, and he has often spoken of his affection for Britain.
President Donald Trump has also targeted Starmer, writing on his Truth Social platform that the outgoing leader had failed on immigration and energy. The remarks amounted to rare open criticism of a close US ally from the White House.
