JD Vance: 'Beautiful' Britain has been let down by its leadership

US Vice President JD Vance, who has been a vocal critic of the UK and Europe since taking office in January 2025, said in an interview with The Sunday Times that Britain has been "failed by its leadership for a long time." While describing the country as "amazing," he noted that British politics appear "very broken."

Vance said he hopes that Andy Burnham, the newly elected MP who won the Makerfield by-election in June, or someone else can deliver the "significant structural change" that people are crying out for. Starmer announced his resignation last month after disastrous local election results in May and will remain in office until the Labour Party appoints a successor. If successful, Burnham would become the seventh UK prime minister in a decade.

The vice president also criticized European leaders for restricting free speech and failing to tackle immigration. At the Munich Security Conference in 2025, he launched a scathing attack on European democracies, and in June, he commented on the murder of student Henry Nowak, blaming "European elites" and migration policies.

US President Donald Trump also criticized Starmer for his refusal to support Trump's war in Iran and for his policies on immigration and energy. Tensions between the US and Europe have also risen over Trump's push to acquire Greenland, which he argues is necessary for national defense to prevent Chinese or Russian influence.