Prime Minister Andy Burnham runs near his home in Warrington, Cheshire. Photo date: Saturday, July 25, 2026 (Photo by Ryan Jenkinson/PA Images via Getty Images)
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Britain’s new Prime Minister Andy Burnham says he is willing to call on US President Donald Trump to protect Britain’s interests as he sets the course for the crucial transatlantic relationship.
Burnham said in a BBC interview aired on Sunday that he had a phone conversation with Trump on Monday, when he was officially sworn in, and that it was a “good exchange” and that he found Trump “warm.”
“We will continue to build on our relationships,” Burnham added.
When asked if Burnham trusted Trump, Burnham said: “The world is changing. Obviously, we have to make decisions based on how things develop.”
President Trump has frequently criticized Britain and other European and NATO allies for not committing to the US-led war against Iran.
But President Trump has welcomed Burnham’s plan to expedite oil and gas exploration in already approved fields in the North Sea. Writing in Truth Social last week, President Trump said North Sea oil was “incalculably valuable”, adding that it would take Britain “from a poverty-stricken disaster to one of the richest countries in the world”.
Trump had criticized Burnham’s predecessor, Keir Starmer, over Britain’s energy policy. “All Starmer wants is expensive windmills that will drive up energy prices,” Trump said in an April interview with the Telegraph.
Mr Starmer announced last month that he was stepping down from his role. His two years in office were marked by a series of policy reversals, scandals over personnel appointments and dramatic defeats in British local elections, leading to internal calls for his resignation.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – JULY 24: Andy Burnham leaves No. 10 North on July 24, 2026 at Heron House in Manchester, England. (Photo by Ryan Jenkinson – Getty Images)
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Asked by BBC journalist Laura Kuenssberg if he would condemn Trump if it was the right thing to do, Burnham said: “Of course,” adding: “You have to protect your own national interests first and foremost. That’s what you need to do to do this job properly.”
Mr Burnham said: “I can’t say that I won’t take a different view from him at any point. We need to express other ideas that are right for Britain.”
defense spending
Burnham declined to name a date for raising defense spending to 3% of gross domestic product.
Britain’s new Chancellor of the Exchequer, John Healy, who was known as Chancellor of the Exchequer under Burnham, is expected to make defense spending a priority. Mr Healey’s appointment as Burnham’s second-in-command comes just weeks after Starmer resigned as defense secretary, citing what he believed was the government’s “reluctance to commit the resources necessary to protect the country”.
Prime Minister Burnham said: “I appointed the new Prime Minister with a good understanding of what he has said about the vital importance of defense spending and his position on this.
“The first challenge facing both of us is to ensure that our defense investment program is adequately funded, and that’s what we have in front of us and we need to work towards as we prepare for the budget later this year.”
In June, Starmer announced an additional £15 billion ($19.9 billion) in defense spending over the next four years as part of the UK’s Defense Investment Plan (DIP), with annual spending set to rise to £79.1 billion (2.7% of gross domestic product) by 2029.
The DIP aims to strengthen the UK’s military, nuclear deterrent and industrial capabilities, while paving the way for increased technology investment in areas such as cyber security, drones and AI.
But analysts warn that high levels of public debt and the highest borrowing costs among G7 countries could constrain the new government’s ability to significantly increase spending.
