Prime Minister Andy Burnham has played down his past attacks on Donald Trump, insisting politicians “say things” in the heat of the moment.
Burnham was pressed this morning about calling US politics “poisonous” and “polarised”, and about a post he made during the Capitol riots, when he wrote: “Any UK politician who gave Trump the time of day should be ashamed right now.”
Asked whether he stood by his past criticism, Burnham shrugged it off, telling reporters: “Well, he’s said things as well.”
Trump hasn’t launched any major personal attacks on Burnham – though he did brand him “extremely liberal” earlier this year when Burnham emerged as the frontrunner to replace Keir Starmer. The US president has been far harsher about Britain as a whole, calling the UK “dying” and “bankrupt”, and has repeatedly mocked Starmer, saying he was “no Winston Churchill”.
PM wants to find common ground with US President
Burnham insisted he wasn’t backing away from his past remarks, but said his job now is to find common ground.
“Everyone says things as politicians,” he said. “In the moment you meet people where they’re at, and you find a connection with people — that’s always been my style.
“I’ve had a habit of saying what I feel over the years, and I’ll continue to do that. But I’m somebody who works with people, tries to find common ground, and that’s what I should be doing in this job.”
Despite the history, Burnham struck an upbeat tone about his relationship with Trump.
“I’m looking forward to my first meeting,” he said. “We had a good phone call on my first day in office and I’m looking forward to meeting in person.”
For now, the PM appears keen to bury the hatchet, or at least keep it out of sight, as he prepares for his first face‑to‑face with the most powerful man on the planet.