Burnham Says He Will Challenge Trump if UK Interests Are at Stake

Email:online@newsofbahrain.com

London: British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he would publicly disagree with US President Donald Trump if necessary to protect Britain's national interests, while stressing the importance of maintaining strong ties with Washington.

In his first major interview since taking office, Burnham said he had a positive first conversation with Trump, describing the US president as ‘really warm’. However, when asked whether he trusted Trump, he declined to give a direct answer, saying the world was changing and decisions should be made based on how events unfold.

Burnham said he would not hesitate to voice a different opinion if he believed it was in Britain's best interests, adding that defending the country's national interest must come before anything else. He also said he had concerns over Trump's decision to launch military action against Iran.

The prime minister also declined to commit to a timeline for increasing UK defence spending to 3% of GDP, saying his immediate priority was ensuring the government's defence investment plans were fully funded ahead of this year's budget.

Burnham ruled out calling an early general election before 2029, saying his focus was on governing and improving the country. Opposition Conservatives said they were ready to contest an election whenever it is held.