Donald Trump has reduced Andy Burnham to a punchline in seconds, humiliating the soon-to-be Prime Minister before he even sets foot in Downing Street. Speaking in the Oval Office on Wednesday, the US president was asked what he knew about Burnham. His reply: "Know about who? I don't know anything. I see he was, I guess, the mayor of a town?"
Trump's brutal dismissal
The president went on to describe Burnham as "extremely liberal" and said he "probably won't open up the North Sea" to drilling that Britain desperately needs for cheaper energy bills and industrial strategy. "The amazing thing is they buy their oil from Norway, which gets it from the North Sea," Trump added. "The UK is dying."
According to James Walker's opinion piece, Trump is ready to have a huge fight with Burnham should the PM-in-waiting refuse to grant American oil giants access to the North Sea. This puts Burnham in a difficult position between appeasing environmentalists like Ed Miliband or facing Trump's tariffs.
Burnham's dilemma
If Burnham drains North Sea oil, net zero zealots led by Ed Miliband will revolt and throw the government into chaos. If he refuses Trump, the president could slap ruinous tariffs on the UK, crippling the economy further. Walker suggests Burnham should open up the North Sea and keep Miliband far from power, while also deleting his 2021 tweet stating: "Any UK politician who gave Trump the time of day should be ashamed right now."
Walker concludes: "If Burnham refuses Trump the time of day now, he might find himself running out of it."
