President Trump meets Mayor Burnham!
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So UK PM Andy Burnham finally had his first face to face sit down US President Trump and it was the usual political cringe fest. I can’t work out if it was 3D chess or just theatrics.
Burnham even brought up bloody Manchester for about the one millionth time and I doubt Trump even knew where it was! I am so sick of his endless boasting about bloody Manchester, The UK is more than Manchester
The meeting itself took place in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly it was remarkably cordial. Just like Starmer’s first meeting was cordial. Trump described Burnham as a “natural business person”, which was curious given that Burnham has never spend a day working in a business. Was Trump taking the proverbial? Or does he just think Burnham is transactional?
Trump went on to suggest that Burnham had the makings of a successful Prime Minister (damned with faint praise) and said relations between Britain and America were looking better than they had under Keir Starmer. However I recall Trump saying complimentary things about Starmer during their first encounter.
But there was at least one elephant in the room.
Before entering Downing Street, Burnham had taken a very different attitude towards Trump. As Mayor of Greater Manchester, he had said Trump was not welcome in the city and indicated that he would refuse to meet him. Now that Burnham is Prime Minister, suddenly it is all about pragmatism, common ground and building a productive relationship with Washington.
Funny how actual responsibility can concentrate the mind!
The reality is that Burnham knows perfectly well that Britain simply cannot afford an unnecessarily hostile relationship with the United States. The US emains central to British defence, intelligence, trade and diplomacy. The rhetoric that may have worked when Burnham was Mayor of Manchester no longer works.
Trump being Trump didn’t avoid the areas where the two governments disagree.
The Chagos Islands were discussed, with Trump remaining strongly critical of Britain’s proposed agreement to transfer sovereignty to Mauritius while leasing back Diego Garcia. He called it a ‘TERRIBLE DEAL” even though Burnham gives every impression of going through with it, Just look at the body language here!!!!
Ukraine, the Falkland Islands, immigration, energy and trade were also among the subjects discussed. That is where Burnham’s problems are just beginning.
You see he wants to present himself domestically as one thing while simultaneously maintaining the closest possible relationship with Trump’s America. The problem is that he has an unholy choir of Trump hating Labour back bench MPs to appease even as he courts Trump. It’s tricky balance. On Ukraine he wants continued American support. On trade he needs American goodwill. On security Britain remains deeply connected to Washington.
Burnham arrived in America insisting that Britain is not a country “on the slide” and presenting an upbeat picture of Britain’s prospects. Trump even agreed with this!! Yethe domestic problems confronting the Burnham government — the cost of living, energy policy, immigration and weak public finances — cannot be wished away by an optimistic speech at the United Nations. It takes action and Burnham cannot take it.
In fairness to Burnham, his first encounter with Trump appears to have gone smoothly. Burnham seems amiable, if nervous, and Trump looked in charge of the discussion. There was no diplomatic explosion and Trump was publicly complimentary towards him.
What strikes me is that Trump is always courteous to those who despise him. Burnham, like Starmer, leads a left wing Government which needs the US more than it needs the UK. I am not certain there is that much common ground but time will tell!
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