Andy Burnham, who somehow managed to write his own ticket to 10 Downing Street when the nation tired of Keir Starmer, said in his first interview since taking office that he had a “really warm” phone conversation with President Trump. But…
He’s prepared to “call out” Sir Donald if necessary, telling BBC-TV: “You have to defend your own national interest before anything else. That’s what you’re required to do if you’re to do this job properly…. I can’t at any point say that I won’t take a different opinion from him [Trump], that I will need to voice a different idea that is right for Britain.”
Burnham was mayor of Greater Manchester, having served since 2017, when ego, er, duty, called as his predecessor lost public trust, partly due to l’affaire Epstein. Starmer was not a guest at Epstein Island or anything, but he managed to appoint someone who was, that being Peter Mandelson, as U.K. ambassador to the United States. Other issues also dogged Starmer, including the defense budget, which led to the resignation of his Secretary of State for Defence.
Burnham also expressed some worries about Trump’s Iran policy, vowing that he “wouldn’t hold back from saying what I think is right.”
Burnham was elevated into office by his Labour Party cohorts in the House of Commons after winning a snap election to Parliament as Starmer’s woes worsened. However, he sees no need for nationwide elections anytime soon. He needs time to get “the country back where it should be,” at least by his socialistic standards.
