Andy Burnham Trump comments signal firmer UK stance on national interest

Andy Burnham’s Trump comments set an early marker for the U.K.’s new government, with the prime minister saying he would challenge the U.S. president where Britain’s interests required it. The remarks come as Burnham weighs a defence budget path toward 3% of GDP, after his predecessor backed a plan to lift annual defence spending to £79.1 billion by 2029.

Burnham told the BBC in an interview broadcast Sunday that he had spoken with President Donald Trump on Monday, the day he formally took office. He described the call as a “good exchange” and said he found Trump “warm,” adding that the relationship would continue to be developed.

Asked whether he would trust Trump, Burnham said the international environment was changing and that leaders had to respond to events as they arose. Pressed by BBC journalist Laura Kuenssberg on whether he would call out Trump if necessary, Burnham answered “of course.”

“You have to defend your own national interest before anything else,” Burnham said, according to the BBC. He added that he could not promise to avoid taking a different view from Trump when he believed another position was right for Britain.

What did Andy Burnham say about Trump?

Burnham said he was prepared to disagree publicly with Trump if the U.K.’s national interest demanded it, while also describing their first phone contact as constructive. His comments frame the trans-Atlantic relationship as one in which cooperation with Washington will continue, but not at the expense of policy positions the U.K. government says are necessary for Britain.

The relationship has already been shaped by energy and defence disputes. Trump has criticised European and NATO allies, including the U.K., over what he has described as inadequate contributions to the U.S.-led war on Iran.

Trump has also attacked the energy policy of Burnham’s predecessor, Keir Starmer. In an April interview with The Telegraph, Trump said Starmer wanted “costly windmills” that were pushing up British energy prices.

By contrast, Trump welcomed Burnham’s plan to accelerate oil and gas exploration in already-licensed areas of the North Sea. In a post on Truth Social last week, Trump called North Sea oil “invaluable” and said it could help shift the U.K. from what he described as a “Poverty Stricken Disaster” into one of the world’s richest countries.

Defence spending is an early fiscal test

Burnham declined in the BBC interview to give a date for increasing U.K. defence spending to 3% of GDP. He said the immediate task for his government was to ensure that the existing Defence Investment Plan was fully funded before the budget later this year.

John Healey, Burnham’s new chancellor of the exchequer, is expected to treat defence spending as a priority. Healey became Burnham’s second-in-command after resigning as Starmer’s defence minister, saying at the time that the government was unwilling to provide the resources needed to defend the country.

Starmer said in June that the U.K. would add £15 billion in defence spending over four years through the Defence Investment Plan. The plan would raise annual defence spending to £79.1 billion by 2029, equal to 2.7% of GDP.

The Defence Investment Plan is intended to strengthen military capability, the nuclear deterrent and industrial capacity, while supporting investment in cybersecurity, drones and artificial intelligence. Analysts cited by CNBC have warned that elevated public debt and the highest borrowing costs among G7 economies could limit the scope for a much larger spending increase.

Burnham took office last week after Starmer said in June that he would step down. Starmer’s two years in government included policy reversals, controversies over staffing appointments and heavy local election losses that led to pressure from within his own party.

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.