Andy Burnham: I’m not afraid to disagree with Donald Trump

Andy Burnham said he would not be afraid to disagree with American president Donald Trump, adding that he would try to “meet him where he is” by “respecting the office”.

The future prime minister told Gary Lineker in an interview with Goalhanger: “Maybe, as I just described, I’ll meet him where he’s at. And, you know, I like to think I’ve got a personality too, and you know, I’ll deal with him in the same way, very openly. I think he likes people to take care of him.”

“When he was talking about my position he described Manchester as a town. And I might have to do that too, you know how the Manchesters are, Gary, that wouldn’t go down well in the city I represent.

“But yeah, you know, it’s about being yourself, right? It’s about respecting the office, the relationship, the UK-US relationship. But you know, when you disagree, do that, but do it in a way that meets him where he is.”

The interview comes after Sir Keir Starmer, who marked the final meeting of his senior team of ministers on Wednesday, was told he would be remembered as a “giant of the Labor movement”.

Elsewhere in the interview, the future prime minister refused to rule out a wealth tax and suggested the Government “might have to ask for a bit more” at some point.

He did not commit to a change but said Britain needed a “greater sense of justice”.

Regarding the possibility of a wealth tax, he told Gary Lineker: “I’m going to take the time to have a proper look at the state of things, particularly the financial situation. And just now, Gary, I mentioned bringing people together. You know, I don’t want to go in and create new divisions, if you will, and pit people against each other.”

“I’m not going to ignore things right now. I believe we need more of a sense of justice and we need people to feel like things are being done the right way and fairly. But at the same time, I don’t want to be perceived as someone who, you know, comes in with grudges and agendas and, you know, will immediately find or demonize a group or create a new way to divide people.”

He added: “So, you know, decisions that have to be made in a timely manner are going to be difficult. I’m not going to shy away from that. You know, we’re going to have to work pretty hard to make sure we can pay our fair share.”

“And at some point that may have to take a little bit more. But, you know, those decisions are not for now. They’re for another day.”