British Prime Minister Andy Burnham will hold his first face-to-face meeting with US President Donald Trump at the UN General Assembly in New York. The meeting follows Burnham congratulating Danish PM Mette Frederiksen on a new US-Denmark-Greenland Arctic security deal. While UK Cabinet Minister Bridget Phillipson dismissed Burnham's past fierce social media rants against Trump as mere politics, Burnham's aides privately blame Trump's policies for UK economic headwinds, including rising energy bills and inflation.
Burnham-Trump UN meeting
- ▪British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and US President Donald Trump have spoken twice by telephone since Burnham took office, discussing topics including football, defense, the Middle East, and Ukraine.
- ▪During their second phone call, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham briefed US President Donald Trump on plans to implement a trade ban on imports from illegal Israeli settlements.
- ▪British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is scheduled to hold his first face-to-face meeting with US President Donald Trump at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 22, 2026.
Burnham's past Trump criticism
- ▪Before Andy Burnham became Prime Minister, Donald Trump described him as extremely liberal, noting he believed Burnham was the mayor of a town.
- ▪Prior to becoming Prime Minister, Andy Burnham was fiercely critical of Donald Trump, stating in 2021 that any UK politician who gave Trump the time of day should be ashamed.
- ▪In 2019, while serving as the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham stated he would not welcome a visit by Donald Trump to Manchester because it would be highly divisive.
- ▪UK Cabinet Minister Bridget Phillipson dismissed Andy Burnham's past criticisms of Donald Trump as mere politics, stating they would not bar the two leaders from building a strong relationship.
US-Denmark Greenland security deal
- ▪Donald Trump stated that the Arctic security deal between the United States, Denmark, and Greenland, announced on September 20, 2026, includes a rule preventing US adversaries from maintaining a military presence or making sensitive investments in Greenland without written US approval
- ▪British Prime Minister Andy Burnham held a phone call with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on September 20, 2026, to congratulate her on the US-Greenland-Denmark security agreement to strengthen security in the Arctic, set to be signed the following week
- ▪The United States, Denmark, and Greenland have reached a security agreement to strengthen security in the Arctic and North Atlantic, set to be signed around the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September 2026
- ▪Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey criticized the US-Denmark Greenland agreement, calling it a pretend victory that is almost a carbon copy of the agreement persisting since the 1950s.
Trump's impact on UK economy
- ▪Aides to British Prime Minister Andy Burnham privately blame US President Donald Trump's actions for economic headwinds that could raise UK energy bills, inflation, and interest rates.
- ▪Donald Trump claimed that British Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged to open up North Sea oil drilling during their first phone call, held on Burnham's first day as prime minister, which Trump asserted would make the UK wealthy
Debatable claims
- ▪The US-Denmark-Greenland security agreement is a genuine strategic victory
- ▪Andy Burnham's past criticisms of Donald Trump will prevent a strong UK-US relationship
- ▪The UK should ban trade imports from illegal Israeli settlements
- ▪Donald Trump's policies are responsible for the UK's economic headwinds
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