Donald Trump has blamed Keir Starmer for the breakdown in UK-US relations in yet another bizarre rant.

The US president said the two countries got on well “until Keir came along” as he once again hit out at the prime minister’s response to the Iran war.

Trump also repeated his observation that Starmer is “not Winston Churchill” as he pointed at a bust of the wartime leader in the Oval Office.

It is the latest in a succession of attacks on Starmer by the president since America and Israel started bombing Iran more than a fortnight ago.

He has made clear his anger that the PM initially refused his request for American jets to use RAF bases to launch their missions.

Trump has also accused Britain of turning down a request to send two aircraft carriers to the Gulf – a claim which has been denied by senior government sources.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday, he said: “We have a tremendous, long-term relationship with the UK. It’s the oldest, the longest. Should be the best. Always was the best until Keir came along.”

He also attacked the Labour government’s policies on immigration and shifting from fossil fuels to green energy.

Asked if he had confidence in the prime minister, Trump said: “It’s not for me, it’s really for the people of the UK to have confidence.

“I mean, I’ve been very critical of Keir – and I did it in a friendly way – I said, if you don’t change your energy thing and get away from windmills and go back to oil and gas.

“You have something that no other country has, very few countries have anything like it: the North Sea.

“You have some of the greatest oil and oil deposits in the entire world. The North Sea, they don’t use it.”

He added: “I think he’s a nice man, but I disagree with him on two things.

“Primarily his immigration policy is a disaster, and his energy policy is a disaster – and they’re about the biggest policies you can have.

“You’ve allowed millions and millions and millions of people to come into your country that shouldn’t be there. And, by the way, that’s all over Europe.

Downing Street has been asked to respond to the president’s latest comments.

Meanwhile, Kemi Badenoch has slammed Trump for his “childish” attacks on Starmer.

She said she found Trump’s remarks “quite shocking”.

“I’m Keir Starmer’s biggest critic, I think he does a lot of things wrong, I think on this he’s been quite slow.

“I think it’s quite childish as well, a war of words between the White House and Downing Street.”