US VP Vance says Britain's economy broken, hopes new PM

U.S. Vice President JD Vance has described British politics as "very broken," arguing that the country's rapid turnover of prime ministers reflects a deeper economic failure. In an interview published on Sunday, Vance said the United Kingdom has been "failed by its leadership for a long time" and expressed hope that the incoming prime minister would get the country "back on track."

Vance's comments follow the resignation of Prime Minister Keir Starmer on June 22 and the anticipated succession of Andy Burnham, who is expected to become Britain's seventh prime minister in just over a decade. While stating he does not know much about Burnham personally, Vance affirmed that Britain remains "one of our closest and most important allies" and pledged to work successfully with whoever holds the office.

The vice president's sharper critique focused on Britain's economic model. He argued that an economy built around consumption has led to atrophied worker skills and a disappearing manufacturing base, with industrial capacity sacrificed for short-term consumer growth. This diagnosis aligns with a school of economic thinking within the Trump administration that prioritizes domestic...