The new PM was coy when asked if he trusted Trump but said he would be prepared to call him out to defend Britain’s “national interest before anything else” if it is the right thing to do
Andy Burnham twice refused to say whether he trusted Donald Trump in his first major tv interview since becoming PM. And he insisted he’s prepared to call out the US president if it was needed to defend Britain’s “national interest before anything else”.
Speaking to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, the new PM said his first exchange with Trump was “good” and he found him to be “really warm”. But he refused to answer directly when asked if he would trust Trump.
He said: “Well I’ve had one phone call. And I always treat people as I find them and it was a good exchange. I will judge as I find and I found him to be really warm on Monday, but obviously we will continue to build the relationship as we go forward.”
Press again as to whether he’s sure at this stage that he can place his trust in Trump as a fellow leader, Mr Burnham said: “It’s a changing world isn’t it, and you just obviously have to call things as they develop”.
In the interview – due to be broadcast in full on Monday – Mr Burnham added: “I can’t at any point say that I won’t take a different opinion from him [Trump], that I will need to voice a different opinion that is right for Britain.”
He added: “My strength is remaining close to people, close to the public, that will not change because I’m prime minister.”
When asked if he would call out the US president – if it was the right thing to do – Burnham responded “of course.”
The UK’s latest prime minister stated: “You have to defend your own national interest before anything else. That’s what you’re required to do if you’re to do this job properly.”
Burnham also stated he had “concern” about the US starting their war with Iran. And added he “wouldn’t hold back from saying what I think is right”.
On other matters concerning defence, the PM didn’t reveal a date government spending on defence would hit 3%. Instead he highlighted the appointment of his Chancellor John Healey – previously Secretary of Defence under Starmer’s government.
Burnham said: “I appointed my new chancellor very aware of what he had said about the critical importance of defence spending and the position that he had taken about that.
“The first challenge facing us both is to ensure that the defence investment plan is fully funded and that’s the thing that’s right in front of us and we need to work that through as we go towards the budget later this year.
When questioned again on commitments to increase defence spending to 3% of GDP, Burnham stated: “We’ve got to work out the way of doing that.”
Burnham also explicitly dismissed the idea of an early general election before 2029, as we previously reported.
He said: “I’m going to rule it out… I don’t think people want it.” The PM added he wanted to focus on “getting the country back where it should be”.
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