Donald Trump's first call with new UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham marks huge 'U-turn' in relationship
Despite previously expressing concerns about his 'extremely liberal' new British counterpart, Donald Trump welcomed Prime Minister Andy Burnham to 10 Downing Street with surprising positivity.
Burnham, 56, became Britain's latest leader yesterday (20 Jul), a month following the resignation of Sir Keir Starmer, with whom Trump endured a bitter relationship towards the end of his reign.
A northern man through and through, as well as the former mayor of Manchester, Labour leader Burnham has long boasted a stark ideological difference compared to Republican boss Trump.
After being announced as Starmer's most likely successor to the position last month, the US President described Burnham as 'extremely liberal'.
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"I don’t know, I think I see that he was, I guess, the mayor of a town," he suggested during a news conference on the matter.
During his first speech as PM on Monday, he discussed his decade-long plan to change the UK, claiming it would begin with tending to the country's cost of living crisis and axing taxes.
"It requires my generation of politicians to raise our game and rise to the new challenge," Burnham declared. "Britain needs to show the world that we can regain our stability once again."
Hours later, news broke that he'd already caught up with Trump, someone he'd heavily criticised in the years prior while discussing the 'polarised, poisonous politics' of the United States.
So much so, that in 2021, Burnham furiously wrote on social media, 'any UK politician who gave Trump the time of day should be ashamed', hinting that he'd never be one to welcome the US leader to his home-country.
Oddly, however, their conversation sounds to have been rather amicable, with right-wing leader Trump vowing America 'will be there to help' Burnham as he transitions into the demanding role.
In a statement later shared to Truth Social, the 80-year-old President wrote: "I had a very good conversation with the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Andy Burnham. We discussed many subjects, including the outstanding relationship we have had with the UK.
"We will be meeting in the not too distant future for topics of mutual interest."
Trump added: "The Prime Minister has got a big job ahead of him, but he will be able to do it and, of course, the U.S.A. will be there to help!"
He claimed the pair discussed 'North Sea Oil, Trade, the Military Alliance, Demining of the Hormuz Strait, and many other topics', describing their conversation as 'interesting', having gone 'very well'.
"I wished Prime Minister Burnham, GOOD LUCK AND GODSPEED!" he signed off. "President DONALD J. TRUMP."
Burnham also shared an insight into their catch-up, revealing he'd invited Trump up to Manchester next year for the G20 summit, seemingly making a U-turn on his promise not to invite the President to the UK.
"The prime minister spoke to the president of the United States, Donald Trump, shortly after taking office this afternoon," a Downing Street spokesperson confirmed. "The prime minister began by congratulating the President on a successful World Cup and agreed that England had an excellent tournament.
"The prime minister also hoped that he would be able to show the president what Manchester had to offer during a visit in the future."
Topics: Donald Trump, US News, Andy Burnham, UK News, Politics
Rhianna Benson