Prime Minister Andy Burnham is set to hold his first face-to-face meeting with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday at the United Nations, but officials on both sides are reportedly working to limit the encounter's scope. A White House source told the Mail on Sunday that aides are trying to "limit the President's exposure" to Burnham because he "will not kiss the ring" in the manner Trump prefers, reflecting friction over several policy disagreements between London and Washington.

Tensions have grown over Trump's recent comments backing a united Ireland and questioning UK sovereignty over the Falklands, alongside disputes concerning North Sea drilling, Nato defence spending, sanctions on Israeli settlers, and the planned transfer of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, which Trump has branded "great stupidity". While the meeting is expected to focus on safer topics such as AI, Iran and Ukraine, British officials are keen to avoid a repeat of Gordon Brown's awkward 2009 UN encounter with Barack Obama. Burnham, who has previously called Trump's politics "poisonous", says he intends to be less deferential than Sir Keir Starmer while still seeking common ground.