UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham says he will challenge Trump if Britain’s interests require it

New UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he would be prepared to disagree with US President Donald Trump when Britain’s interests required it.

In excerpts released on Sunday, July 26, from a BBC interview recorded on Friday, Burnham described his first telephone call with Trump as warm. The call took place hours after Burnham succeeded Keir Starmer as prime minister on Monday, July 20.

Burnham said his relationship with Trump would continue to develop but that he could not promise always to share the US president’s views. He said he would offer a different position when he believed it was right for Britain.

Asked twice whether he trusted Trump, Burnham declined to answer directly. He said, however, that he would be willing to challenge the president when necessary.

Burnham, 56, is a senior figure in the centre-left Labour Party. He served as mayor of Greater Manchester from 2017 until returning to Parliament and becoming Labour leader and prime minister in July 2026.

After their first telephone call, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Burnham faced a major task but would be able to handle it, adding that the United States would be available to help.

Trump had previously described Burnham as “extremely liberal.” Relations between Trump and Burnham’s predecessor, Keir Starmer, had at times been strained, including over the conflict involving Iran.