Andy Burnham’s past social media rants about Donald Trump are ‘no bar to having a strong relationship’ insists Cabinet minister ahead of PM’s first meeting with US President
Cabinet minister Bridget Phillipson said Andy Burnham’s previous criticism of Donald Trump would not prevent the Prime Minister from developing a strong relationship with the US President. Burnham is due to meet Trump face to face at the United Nations general assembly in New York, with the Government stressing that cooperation with the US is vital for intelligence, defence and support for Ukraine.
Burnham previously described Trump as divisive, opposed a visit to Manchester and said British politicians should be ashamed of dealing with him after the 2021 Capitol attack. Phillipson said those comments were part of political debate and that the UK-US relationship was more important than differences between individual leaders; Trump had also called Burnham “extremely liberal” during his campaign to become Prime Minister.
- Burnham is preparing for his first meeting with Trump as Prime Minister.
- Ministers say past criticism will not damage UK-US cooperation.
- Intelligence, defence and Ukraine are key areas of shared interest.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
International diplomacy must prioritise pragmatism over personal political disagreements. The UK-US relationship is strategically indispensable for defence, intelligence sharing, and Ukraine support, and allowing past campaign rhetoric to impede cooperation would be self-defeating. Leaders routinely criticise one another during political contests; the ability to compartmentalise such speech and engage constructively on matters of state interest is a fundamental requirement of statecraft, and both sides have exchanged criticism without this precluding productive relations.
The case against
Public statements questioning a foreign leader's character and propriety—particularly assertions that British politicians should be ashamed to deal with him—reflect genuinely held values-based opposition that cannot simply be set aside. There is a real question of credibility and integrity in pivoting from such principled criticism to seeking close working relations, and whilst both sides may attempt professionalism, personal rapport and trust do matter in diplomacy; hostility publicly expressed may create lasting friction that impairs the relationship's depth and effectiveness.