Burnham says he is prepared to call out Trump ‘if right for Britain’
Burnham said: “My strength is to stay close to the people, to the people; that will not change as prime minister.”
When asked if he would tell Trump if it was the right thing to do, he said “of course” and continued: “First of all, you should defend your own national interests. If you want to do this job properly, that’s what you have to do.”
Burnham also said she was “concerned” about the president starting a conflict with Iran and “will not hold back from saying what I think is right.”
The Prime Minister has not committed to a date by which the government will spend 3 percent of GDP on defence. Chancellor John Healey resigned from the previous government, saying the country would not be safe unless a commitment was made to spend this amount by 2030.
But Burnham said: “I appointed my new chancellor conscious of what he has said about the critical importance of defense spending and the position he has taken on this issue.
“The first challenge we both face is ensuring that the defense investment plan is fully funded, and that’s what’s in front of us, and that’s what we need to work on as we move towards the budget later this year.”
