Prime Minister Andy Burnham has stated that he will prioritise the United Kingdom's national interest in his interactions with US President Donald Trump, even if that requires publicly opposing him. The pair spoke by telephone on Monday, within an hour of Burnham arriving at Downing Street.
Speaking to the BBC, Burnham said: "I can’t at any point say that I won’t take a different opinion from him [Donald Trump], that I will need to voice a different idea that is right for Britain." He added: "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."
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Burnham "has got a big job ahead of him, but he will be able to do it" and pledged the US "will be there to help". Downing Street described the 20-minute conversation as "extremely warm".
No Early Election and Defence Priorities
Burnham ruled out an early general election, telling the BBC: "There’s no early general election. I don’t think people want it." He said the focus should be on getting the country "back where it should be".
On defence, he refused to set a timetable for increasing spending to 3% of GDP. He acknowledged the position of former Defence Secretary John Healey, who resigned under Sir Keir Starmer over defence investment disagreements. Burnham said: "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."
Healey had accused former Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Starmer of putting national security at risk. Starmer had pledged to increase defence spending by £15 billion, aiming for 3% of GDP in the next parliament, still below Nato's 3.5% target by 2035.
Nato Commitments and US Relations
Burnham said he and Healey wanted to "honour" Nato commitments. New Defence Secretary Wes Streeting had a "very warm conversation" with US counterpart Pete Hegseth. They discussed the Strait of Hormuz situation, defence investment, and Nato commitments. A source said: "The Defence Secretary had a very warm conversation with Secretary Hegseth. They discussed the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and how allies can work together. They also discussed defence investment and the UK’s commitment to meeting our Nato commitments."
No further details on a summit were confirmed.
