Burnham and Trump strike warm note at UN despite sharp policy differences
Prime Minister Andy Burnham used his first meeting with US President Donald Trump at the UN General Assembly to underline areas of cooperation while acknowledging differences on key foreign policy issues. Trump struck a warm note after their talks on Tuesday, calling Burnham "a natural business person" and saying trans-Atlantic relations were "more up than they were with your last prime minister".
The meeting, which lasted for more than the scheduled 30 minutes, came as Burnham prepared to address the General Assembly later in the day. In New York, he also set out plans to push for action on the conflict involving the US and Iran, seek stronger US support for Ukraine and present Britain as a country that can help shape global rules on artificial intelligence.
Burnham, who has moved from being mayor of Manchester to leading a G7 country within weeks, faced a closely watched first encounter with Trump. The US president said, "Based on our relationship with the prime minister, Andy, I think we're doing very well." There had been concern in UK circles over how the meeting would go, especially after Trump had once dismissed Burnham as "the mayor of a town". Burnham replied lightly: "We don't hold it against you."
Burnham also referred to differences between the two sides, saying Trump had been "good enough to listen to us" on issues including trade and the Falkland Islands. Trump has recently spoken about the future of the British-controlled South Atlantic archipelago, which is also claimed by Argentina as the Malvinas. On another possible flashpoint, Britain's decision to ban trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank, Trump said he was unaware of the matter.
Trump was much sharper in his criticism of Britain's plan to hand sovereignty of the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean to Mauritius. Britain says the proposed deal would protect the future of the strategic US military base on Diego Garcia, but the agreement has stalled after the Trump administration withdrew support and UK officials accept it is now in limbo. Trump called it "a terrible deal" over a "very important piece of real estate, militarily and strategically" and added, "I think the prime minister is going to be looking at it."
Before the meeting, Burnham said he would raise with Trump ways to end the on-off war between the US and Iran, which has disrupted tanker movement through the Strait of Hormuz and pushed up global fuel prices. He said attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Saudi energy infrastructure had worsened the situation and made it harder to deliver on his pledge to ease cost of living pressure in Britain.
On his flight to New York, Burnham announced that he had authorised limited military support for Saudi Arabia to repel attacks from the Houthis in Yemen. He said a Royal Air Force plane would refuel Saudi jets carrying out what he described as "defensive" action to shoot down Houthi missiles. Burnham also said he would urge Trump to increase US support for Ukraine by providing air-defence missiles ahead of another winter of Russian attacks.
In his UN speech later in the day, Burnham was expected to argue that Britain could help tackle major global challenges, from conflict in the Middle East to the rapid growth of artificial intelligence, while also seeking to move beyond years of Brexit-driven tensions with European neighbours. He said he would focus on AI and argue that it was possible to be "clear-eyed" about both its benefits and risks.
Burnham said Britain was well placed to act as an "honest broker" in building global agreement on AI because London had strong ties with both the US and Europe and "a strong dialogue" with China. Speaking to business leaders on the sidelines of the General Assembly, he said he wanted "a single set of global principles and standards" that could unlock AI's potential while reducing its risks. Trump, however, told the UN that the US "totally rejects any attempt to construct a globalist scheme" to regulate AI.
Burnham was also set to say that Britain would "draw a line under the last decade" since the 2016 vote to leave the European Union. He suggested Brexit marked a wrong turn for the country and said the period had been fuelled by misinformation. While his Labour government wants closer ties with the EU without reversing Brexit, he indicated he could go further after the next national election, due by 2029. He told reporters Britain had seen "the turbulence that comes when outside actors seek to manipulate, distort facts, influence the British democratic process" and added: "Going into the next decade we need to be clear-eyed about that and stronger and more on the front foot about challenging that." Overall, Burnham's first face-to-face meeting with Trump offered a positive opening even as differences remained over the Middle East, Chagos, AI and Britain's wider foreign policy priorities.
