Andy Burnham is “extremely liberal”, Donald Trump has said in his first public comments about the former Greater Manchester mayor since he emerged as the frontrunner to replace Sir Keir Starmer.
The US president told reporters Burnham “probably won’t open up the North Sea” for oil exploration, and that “the UK is dying”, signalling that the Labour MP could be facing a rocky relationship with Trump.
The Makerfield MP has been critical of Trump in the past, describing American politics as “polarised” and “poisonous” while on the campaign trail in June.
As rioters stormed the US Capitol in 2021, Burnham posted on X: “Any UK politician who gave Trump the time of day should be ashamed right now.”
Asked at the White House what he knew about Burnham, Trump said: “I don’t know, I think I see that he was, I guess, the mayor of a town.
“I hear he’s extremely liberal, extremely, so that means he probably won’t open up the North Sea.”
Starmer sought to pursue a conciliatory approach and initially even drew praise for his deft handling of the unpredictable president, but their relationship deteriorated over the Iran conflict.
Burnham’s route to Number 10 appears wide open, with few other Labour MPs being discussed as potential challengers.
But former armed forces minister Al Carns, who resigned earlier this month in a row over defence spending, remains a possible contender, calling for a “proper debate” on the country’s future.
He stopped short of saying he would challenge for the Labour leadership, but posting on X he set out “tests” that any contender should meet, including spending 3% of GDP on defence, fixing the crisis with youth unemployment, adding a trillion pounds to UK GDP within the next decade and improving the UK’s energy infrastructure.
Carns concluded: “None of this is complicated.”
Burnham will also be told on Thursday that he must ease burdens on business in order for the UK economy to prosper.
Shevaun Haviland, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, is set to tell the business group’s global annual conference that successive governments have “hobbled” business prospects over recent years.
Current Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who is widely predicted to be replaced if Burnham becomes prime minister, is also due to speak at the conference.
Burnham is reportedly still considering who to choose for the role.
A temporary VAT cut to reduce prices at family attractions such as zoos and theme parks as well as the cost of children’s cinema tickets and restaurant meals is set to come into effect on Thursday after Reeves announced the “Great British Summer Savings” measure.
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