Andy Burnham has said he is "looking forward" to his first face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump, despite previously suggesting he would not give the US president "the time of day". Challenged on the apparent U-turn during a London supermarket visit, Burnham argued that politicians often say things in the moment and that his approach has always been to find common ground with people once he meets them, adding this was in the "British public's interest" given his current role.

The prime minister said he had already had a positive phone call with Trump on his first day in office and revealed he is "likely" to travel to New York for the UN General Assembly, held between 22 and 28 September, though details remain unconfirmed. Speaking to Bloomberg in Ukraine, Burnham indicated he would use any encounter to press Trump, alongside European leaders, for greater support for Kyiv. It would mark his first US visit as premier, drawing comparisons with Keir Starmer's initially successful but later strained relationship with Trump, with it still unclear whether Trump will attend the UN session or whether a Washington leg might be added.