UK PM Andy Burnham says he’ll put Britain first, won’t shy away from disagreeing with Trump

Britain’s new Prime Minister Andy Burnham has signaled he is prepared to differ with US President Donald Trump whenever necessary, stressing that protecting Britain’s national interests will remain his top priority.

In excerpts from a BBC interview released on Sunday, Burnham described his first phone call with Trump—held just hours after succeeding Keir Starmer as prime minister last Monday—as “warm” and said both sides would continue to build their relationship.

But the Labour leader made clear that close ties with Washington would not prevent him from taking an independent stance.

“I can’t at any point say that I won’t take a different opinion from him… I will always put Britain’s interest first,” Burnham said.

The 56-year-old, who previously served as mayor of Greater Manchester for nine years, also said he would be willing to challenge Trump publicly if Britain’s interests demanded it. However, he declined twice to directly answer whether he trusts the US president.

After their call, Trump posted on Truth Social that Burnham “has got a big job ahead of him” and pledged that the United States “will be there to help.” The remarks contrasted with Trump’s criticism of Burnham last month, when he described the Labour leader as “extremely liberal.”

Burnham’s comments come after Trump’s often strained relationship with former Prime Minister Keir Starmer, particularly over differences on the Iran conflict.