Andy Burnham has suggested Donald Trump's crushing midterms defeat could signal a decline in right-wing populism. After fed-up voters punished the Republicans at the ballot box, the Prime Minister said he was hopeful that the scale of the defeat could force the US President to focus on ending the Iran war that has rocked economies around the world.
Mr Trump's party lost control of the Senate and the House of Representatives after a string of stunning wins by the Democrats in deep red states. The midterms have sparked questions about the decline of the popular right around the world, following elections in Brazil, Serbia and Hungary.
Pendulum swinging away from populism
Asked how he was handling the right in the UK during a trip to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua, the PM told The Economist: "I think the pendulum – obviously, in the days we've been away, the pendulum has swung away from populism in other parts of the world. And so we've got to be confident in the moment that we're in."
"I think people are looking for something more hopeful, something different, more unified."
A chance to refocus on cost of living
The result – and the US president's reaction – presents "an opportunity to refocus around the issue that everyone everywhere is struggling with, and that's cost of living", he said. "I mean, that's clear from the results. It's clearly the big issue in the UK and it's what I've been focused on in the last 100 days, my first 100 days."
"It's impacting people everywhere. We've been hearing it from leaders here in the Commonwealth. So that's the opportunity, and of course that means finding resolution to conflict in the Middle East and in Ukraine."
Autumn of diplomacy and G20 plans
Mr Burnham is gearing up for an "autumn of diplomacy" with several key summits with the EU, culminating in the G20 summit in the US in December. Next year the UK will host the gathering in his old stomping ground in Manchester.
The PM was clear that Vladimir Putin won't be coming to the summit, despite Russia remaining a G20 member. Mr Trump sparked outrage when he invited the Russian tyrant to this year's gathering of world leaders in Miami. If he accepts, it would be the first summit Putin has attended since his barbaric invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Asked whether Putin would be invited to Manchester next November, Mr Burnham told The Economist: "No. There are sanctions against leading figures in the administration. And there's some technicalities about invites, because I think they're handled by the G20 rather than by Britain, I think I've got that right. So, if I maybe rephrase it, technically, but will not be coming because of an outstanding sanction."
Warm tone on China and AI cooperation
Mr Burnham struck a warmer tone on Chinese President Xi, who he met in Manchester in 2015. He said: "We proceed carefully, but I'm sure there is a real opportunity there as well on the back of Keir Starmer's visit. I think Keir was right to visit. I think it has taken the conversation on from where it was under the previous administration. And G20 again is an opportunity to get that relationship right."
Mr Burnham singled out AI as an area where the UK could work closely with China, and said he would use the UK presidency of the G20 to push for international agreement on AI.
