Donald Trump could be about to cause Andy Burnham a massive problem
Prime Minister set for a stormy reception when he meets the US president for the first time on Tuesday
Andy Burnham is set for a stormy welcome when he touches down in New York in the early hours.
Not only has America’s largest city been lashed by unseasonably atrocious weather, but he will also come face-to-face with Donald Trump for the first time.
So far, their fledgling “special relationship” has been cordial.
The US president has described the new Prime Minister as a “nice man”.
Yet they have only spoken on the phone twice.
Their meeting, deep inside the United Nations headquarters, will see Burnham having to navigate a diplomatic minefield of transatlantic tensions – the Middle East crisis, Russia, the Falklands, Irish unification, North Sea drilling and the Chagos surrender.
Trump has previously blasted the Government’s Chagos deal and questioned whether the UK could defend the Falklands.
He also slammed Burnham’s predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer, over Labour’s failure to open up new gas and oilfields in the North Sea.
Things are unlikely to be any different during the Manhattan tête-à-tête.
When The Don is in town, you can never quite prepare for what might happen. He could blow at any time. Just ask Theresa May, Starmer or Volodymyr Zelensky.
Burnham wants to focus much of his time in the Big Apple talking about artificial intelligence. On how it can be used in a positive way to help solve some of the world’s problems.
Burnham could have a few of his own once Storm Trump blows through.
