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
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By GREG HEFFER, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT
Published: | Updated:
Andy Burnham's past social media rants about Donald Trump will be 'no bar' to the two men having a strong relationship, a Cabinet minister insisted today.
The Prime Minister is set to hold his first face-to-face meeting with the US President at the United Nations general assembly in New York on Tuesday.
Prior to becoming PM, Mr Burnham was fiercely critical of Mr Trump and claimed UK politicians should be 'ashamed' of dealing with him.
He also once suggested he would ban the 'highly divisive' US President from Manchester when he was the city's mayor.
But, speaking to Sky News ahead of Mr Burnham's meeting with Mr Trump, Cabinet minister Bridget Phillipson brushed off the PM's past remarks as 'politics'.
Challenged about Mr Burnham's previous criticism of the US President, the women and equalities minister said: 'What you've just described there is politics.
'The President knows that. This is not far from unique. People will express views at different points on different topics. And that's no bar to having a strong relationship.
'The reason that matters is because the US is someone that is essential to our ability to share intelligence, to work together on defence, whether that's Ukraine and much, much more besides.'
Andy Burnham's past social media rants about Donald Trump will be 'no bar' to the two men having a strong relationship, a Cabinet minister insisted today
The Prime Minister is set to hold his first face-to-face meeting with the US President at the United Nations general assembly in New York on Tuesday
Ahead of Mr Burnham's meeting with Mr Trump, Cabinet minister Bridget Phillipson brushed off the PM's past remarks as 'politics'
Ms Phillipson added: 'That will be at the forefront of Andy Burnham's mind when he meets President Trump face to face. But of course, there are differences of opinion.
'We don't have the same political outlook, but the relationship between the UK and the US goes beyond any one president, any one prime minister.
'It's something that has stood the test of time over many centuries despite political differences.
'They come and go. What matters most is the British national interest. And that's what Andy Burnham will deliver for our country.'
In April 2019, during Mr Trump's first term as US President, Mr Burnham said 'many different communities' in Britain would be feeling 'deeply unsettled' by the American leader's upcoming state visit to the UK.
'There are many people who live in this country who will be deeply troubled by this visit,' Mr Burnham said at the time.
The then-Greater Manchester mayor added that he 'wouldn't welcome' a visit to Manchester by Mr Trump as it would be 'highly divisive and cause real protests on our streets'.
In 2021, on the day of the US Capitol attack on 6 January that year, Mr Burnham claimed UK politicians should be 'ashamed' of dealing with Mr Trump
In his 2019 comments to the Manchester Evening News, Mr Burnham did appear to perform a partial U-turn on his previous declaration that he would refuse to meet Mr Trump at all.
Mr Burnham said that he would talk to Mr Trump, but only to call him out.
In further criticism of Mr Trump in 2021, on the day of the US Capitol attack on 6 January that year, Mr Burnham claimed UK politicians should be 'ashamed' of dealing with the US President.
'Any UK politician who gave Trump the time of day should be ashamed right now,' Mr Burnham posted on Twitter at the time.
In June, during Mr Burnham's successful bid to replace Keir Starmer as PM following his victory in the Makerfield by-election, Mr Trump labelled Mr Burnham as 'extremely liberal'.
Asked what he knew about Mr Burnham, the US President said: 'I don't know, I think I see that he was, I guess, the mayor of a town.'
Prior to becoming PM, Mr Burnham indicated he would be willing to disagree with Mr Trump but would try to 'meet him where he's at' while 'respecting the office'.
Mr Burnham spoke to Mr Trump on the phone on his first day as PM, during which he invited the US President to Manchester for the G20 summit next year.
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