Britain’s prime minister, Andy Burnham, is due to meet Donald Trump for the first time on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, where the two leaders will discuss Ukraine and the rising cost of conflict in the Middle East.
On Tuesday, Burnham will speak before the UN, setting out his vision for Britain’s place in an increasingly fractured world order. His only other foreign trip since taking office in July was to Kyiv. He will urge Trump to send interceptor missiles to bolster Ukraine’s air defenses as another winter of war approaches.
The British government also wishes to address restoring free passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blocked since the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran in February. That closure has pushed oil prices up, which makes Burnham’s attempt to bring down the cost of living harder to manage.
Burnham’s History With Trump
Two years on from his first statement, Burnham said he would refuse to meet Trump if he visited. His previous remark, made while mayor of Greater Manchester, came in 2017 and it declared that Trump wouldn’t be welcome in the city.
Burnham and Trump have spoken twice since Burnham took office in July. Trump has called Burnham “a nice guy,” but also expressed support for Irish unification and mused about the Falkland Islands.
Labour Weighs the Relationship
Bridget Phillipson, chairwoman of the Labour Party, said Burnham would be “pragmatic”, and she added that preserving the relationship is critical for the national interest. A month earlier, Keir Starmer handed Trump an invitation from King Charles III for his second state visit to the U.K. in February 2025.
A trade deal with the U.S. came about because of Starmer’s efforts, and it was the Trump administration that agreed to it. Trump grew cold toward Starmer after the latter refused to join the Iran war, and he has since criticized U.K. immigration and green-energy policies.
The Oil and Gas Decision
The Scottish minister is expected to issue a verdict soon on whether to permit new drilling sites in the seas off Scotland. Officials in Westminster are preparing for backlash over the United Kingdom’s prohibition on trading with goods made in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, along with its moves to control major U.S. technology companies.
Trump’s threat to take over Greenland alarmed the U.K. and other European allies. In response, a deal was struck among Greenland, Denmark and the U.S. The arrangement is meant to strengthen the American military presence on the island while keeping it under Danish control.
Trump’s Busy Week
This week at the White House, Donald Trump is hosting a high-profile meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. At the same time, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is leading the middle-sized powers in an effort to build closer alliances as a counterweight to Trump’s “America first” policy.
The U.K. left the European Union in 2020.
Davey’s Warning
Ed Davey, leader of the centrist Liberal Democrats, urged Burnham to “do what the Europeans are doing, what the Canadians are doing, and start saying to Donald Trump, ‘the way you’re treating our country, the way you’re treating the world, is not acceptable.'”
Davey added the following: “I want him to stand up to Trump. It’s really clear that’s the only language the president respects.”
“The only language the president respects.”
What the Meeting Covers
The gathering in New York will cover several fronts that are currently in play. Ukraine’s air defenses are the main priority, with Burnham seeking interceptor missiles to fortify them ahead of winter. The blockage of the Strait of Hormuz is also a concern, as it has driven oil prices upward, making it harder for Burnham to ease the cost of living and get the sluggish economy moving again.
The U.K. left the EU in 2020, and Burnham’s government now wants to restore some of the ties severed then. The middle powers led by Carney are pushing their own alliances in response to Trump’s “America first” policy.
The Pragmatic Approach
Burnham has said he always tries to find “common ground” with other politicians. He has spoken twice with Trump since taking office, and the president has called him “a nice guy.”
The relationship is critical for the national interest, according to Phillipson’s framing, which shapes how Burnham will handle the meeting. The U.K. struck a deal with the Trump administration following Starmer’s efforts, but the relationship has since soured over the Iran war and policy disagreements.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs Burnham’s push for a diplomatic opening in the Strait of Hormuz and is against a direct military response that would close the channel further. The Strait has been blocked since the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran in February, and the closure has pushed oil prices up. Keeping the channels of trade and diplomacy open is the right approach, and Burnham’s attempt to restore free passage for ships is consistent with that.
Burnham’s only other foreign trip since taking office was to Kyiv, and he has said he always tries to find common ground with other politicians. His attempt to get Trump to send interceptor missiles to bolster Ukraine’s air defenses is a practical matter of war, and it should be handled as such.
The paper is against entanglements that push the U.S. and Iran further apart, and it is against trade wars that make oil prices worse. The Strait of Hormuz should be open, and the paper wants Burnham to keep pushing for that opening rather than closing it further with a direct military response.
Key Facts Box
- Meeting: First Burnham-Trump meeting, UN General Assembly, New York
- Topics: Ukraine, cost of conflict in the Middle East
- UN address: Tuesday, setting out Britain’s place in a fractured world order
- Previous foreign trip: Kyiv
- Strait of Hormuz blocked since: U.S.-Israeli war with Iran in February
- Trade deal: U.K. struck one with the Trump administration after Keir Starmer’s efforts
- Greenland: U.S. deal announced to bolster military presence, keeping the island under Danish control
- U.K. left the EU: 2020
- Davey’s advice: “The only language the president respects”
Source material: “Britain’s Burnham is set to meet Trump for the first time at the UN in New York,” ABC News.
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