Trump calls Burnham extremely liberal as UK leadership race heats up

Donald Trump used his first public comments on Andy Burnham’s chances of becoming prime minister to brand the Greater Manchester mayor “extremely liberal” and dismiss him as “the mayor of a town” during a White House meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Trump added that he had heard Burnham would probably not “open up the North Sea” for oil exploration, framing a British leadership contest in the language of American culture-war politics.

The intervention landed as Labour’s succession fight gathered pace after Keir Starmer said on June 22 that he would quit as Labour leader, opening the way for a contest to choose a new prime minister. Burnham, who has emerged as the frontrunner, said there were “many steps ahead” when asked whether he would call a general election. Former health minister Wes Streeting then said he would back Burnham in any leadership contest, a move that strengthened the Manchester mayor’s position.

Burnham’s route into the race was sharpened by his June 18 victory in the Makerfield by-election, where he took 54.8% of the vote and a majority of 9,231. That result made him eligible to stand for Labour leader.

Burnham is the directly elected leader of Greater Manchester Combined Authority, a post created through English devolution that gives the mayor control over transport funding, bus services, policing oversight, fire-service strategy and a £300 million housing investment fund.

Burnham first became Greater Manchester mayor in May 2017 and was re-elected in May 2021 and May 2024. Before that, he served as MP for Leigh from 2001 to 2017 and was Secretary of State for Health from June 2009 to May 2010. In his third-term mayoral agenda, Burnham has pledged to deliver 10,000 new council homes by 2028 and said Greater Manchester should be able to build 75,000 new homes in the parliament.