Burnham braces for Trump turbulence in first meeting tomorrow - with president set to swipe at allies who are not helping with Iran war in UN speech
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By JAMES TAPSFIELD, UK POLITICAL EDITOR
Published: | Updated:
Andy Burnham is gearing up for a potentially stormy first encounter with Donald Trump as he heads for New York.
The PM is due to hold talks with the turbulent US president as they both attend the UN General Assembly tomorrow.
But Mr Burnham will have to navigate a diplomatic minefield of Transatlantic tensions, including over the Middle East crisis, Russia, the Falklands, Irish unification and AI.
On the same day Mr Trump is expected to use his speech to world leaders to condemn allies who have failed to help with the Iran war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Fielding questions for the Government, justice minister Alex Davies-Jones insisted the two politicians would 'get on famously' despite Mr Burnham's previous jibes at the president.
Downing Street is thought to be aiming to keep the encounter relatively short to limit the chance of a disaster. As the talks are not in the Oval Office Mr Burnham should escape one of Mr Trump's unpredictable ad hoc press conferences.
The president also has more high-profile showdowns scheduled with Xi Jinping of China and Volodymyr Zelensky.
Andy Burnham is due to hold talks with Donald Trump as they both attend the UN General Assembly tomorrow
Last week Mr Trump described the Labour premier as a 'very nice guy' but 'on the liberal side'
Keir Starmer's initial meeting with Mr Trump was seen as a success, although relations later soured over his refusal to participate in offensive strikes on Iran.
Last week Mr Trump described the Labour premier as a 'very nice guy' but 'on the liberal side'.
He also caused a storm by seemingly backing a merger between Northern Ireland and the Republic - something that was flatly rejected by the UK Government.
In recent weeks the president has hinted he would not support Britain if Argentina tried to claim the Falkland Islands again.
He linked the dispute to the UK's reluctance to get involved in the US-Israeli war against Iran, which has caused chaos in global energy supplies.
There are reports that US officials have privately complained about the Government's online safety legislation and the prospect of under-16s being banned from social media.
The UK and America have also taken different positions on AI development, with Mr Trump dismissing the need for 'guardrails' apart from having a 'very high IQ' president.
As Manchester Mayor Mr Burnham insisted he would not give the American politician 'the time of day', and suggested he would snub a meeting.
Last month Mr Burnham insisted Mr Trump had 'said things as well'.
'Everyone says things as politicians. In the moment you meet people where they're at, and you find a connection with people, and that's always been my style,' he added.
'I've had a habit of saying what I feel over the years and I'll continue to do that.
'But, at the same time, I am somebody who works with people, tries to find common ground, and obviously that's what I should be doing in this job in the British public's interest, and I will always take that approach.
'So, I'm looking forward actually to my first meeting. We had a good phone call on my first day in office and looking forward to meeting in person.'
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