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Translated by: Flutura Gashi-Mehmeti
- July 26, 2026 10:31
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In his first interview as prime minister, Andy Burnham says he would be willing to defy US President Donald Trump to protect "Britain's national interest above all else" if it were the right thing to do.
Speaking exclusively to the BBC, the new British prime minister said he had a good first conversation with Trump after his re-election.
But when asked twice whether he would trust the US president, he did not give a direct answer, saying: "It's a changing world, isn't it? And, of course, you have to evaluate things as they develop."
"I can't say at any point that I won't have a different opinion from him (Trump), or that I won't have to express a different idea that is right for Britain," he said in the interview, which will be published in full on Monday.
"You must protect your national interest above all else."
When asked if he would oppose Trump if it were the right thing to do, he said "of course," adding, "You have to protect your national interest above all else. That's what's required of you if you want to do this job properly."
Burnham, meanwhile, did not give a date for when the government would spend 3% of GDP on defense.
His Finance Minister, John Healey, had resigned from the previous government saying that, unless there was a commitment to spend that amount by 2030, the country would not be safe.