Andy Burnham 'invites Donald Trump to Manchester' in awkward first phone call... despite new PM previously suggesting he would BAN 'deeply troubling' US President from city

By GREG HEFFER, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT Published: 16:06, 20 July 2026 | Updated: 16:18, 20 July 2026 Andy Burnham today spoke with Donald Trump - in what may have been an awkward first phone call - after being installed as the UK's seventh Prime Minister in a decade. The new Labour premier's chat with the US President was among his first tasks after entering Downing Street on Monday. It could have been a frosty discussion due to Mr Burnham's fierce criticism of Mr Trump in the past. The US President has, in turn, publicly dismissed Mr Burnham as 'extremely liberal' and 'the mayor of a town'. During their talks on Monday, Mr Burnham is reported to have invited Mr Trump to Manchester - where he previously served as mayor and is planning to establish his 'No10 North'. A source told Politico that Mr Trump said he'd like to take Mr Burnham up on the offer. This is despite Mr Burnham having once suggested the 'highly divisive' Mr Trump wouldn't be welcome in the North West city. In April 2019, during Mr Trump's first term as US President, Mr Burnham said 'many different communities' in Britain would be feeling 'deeply unsettled' by the American leader's upcoming state visit to the UK. Andy Burnham today spoke with Donald Trump - in what may have been an awkward first phone call - after being installed as the UK's seventh Prime Minister in a decade It could have been a frosty discussion due to Mr Burnham's fierce criticism of the US President in the past In 2021, on the day of the US Capitol attack on 6 January that year, Mr Burnham claimed UK politicians should be 'ashamed' of dealing with Mr Trump 'There are many people who live in this country who will be deeply troubled by this visit,' Mr Burnham said at the time. The then-Greater Manchester mayor added that he 'wouldn't welcome' a visit to Manchester by Mr Trump as it would be 'highly divisive and cause real protests on our streets'. But, in comments to the Manchester Evening News, Mr Burnham did appear to perform a partial U-turn on his 2017 declaration that he would refuse to meet Mr Trump at all. Mr Burnham said in 2019 that he would talk to Mr Trump, but only to call him out. In further criticism of Mr Trump in 2021, on the day of the US Capitol attack on 6 January that year, Mr Burnham claimed UK politicians should be 'ashamed' of dealing with US President. 'Any UK politician who gave Trump the time of day should be ashamed right now,' Mr Burnham posted on Twitter at the time. Last month, when Mr Burnham looked set to replace Keir Starmer as PM following his victory in the Makerfield by-election, Mr Trump labelled Mr Burnham as 'extremely liberal'. Asked what he knew about Mr Burnham, the US President said: 'I don't know, I think I see that he was, I guess, the mayor of a town. 'I hear he's extremely liberal, extremely, so that means he probably won't open up the North Sea.' But Mr Trump appears to have since been persuaded that Mr Burnham is likely to soften Labour's stance on North Sea oil and gas. The new PM has not confirmed reports that he is considering approving new fossil fuel production, particularly in the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields. But, in a post on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, Mr Trump claimed Mr Burnham had said he would. Mr Trump said: 'The People of Aberdeen, in Scotland, are dancing in the streets because the new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, has stated that he will be opening up, all the way, the invaluable North Sea Oil!' The president, a vocal supporter of fossil fuels, said further drilling in the North Sea would 'make the United Kingdom, from a Poverty Stricken Disaster, to one of the Richest Countries anywhere in the World'. In his latest attack on wind power, Mr Trump suggested the UK would 'move the old and horrible looking windmills, which loom over and destroy the City of Aberdeen'. Earlier on Sunday, Labour's deputy leader Lucy Powell said Mr Burnham would stick to the party's manifesto commitments on the North Sea while pursuing a 'more pragmatic approach'. Labour's 2024 manifesto, which Mr Burnham has promised to honour, said the party would not issue new North Sea licences, arguing they would 'not take a penny off bills' or improve energy security while accelerating climate change. But the incoming prime minister is said to be 'open-minded' about the policy. He could claim not to be breaking the manifesto pledge by approving projects at the Jackdaw and Rosebank fields, where licences have already been granted, while still not issuing any new licences. Ms Powell would not say whether Mr Burnham would back more drilling, but told the BBC she was not expecting a 'change of policy' but 'more a change of emphasis'. Prior to becoming PM, Mr Burnham indicated he would be willing to disagree with Mr Trump but would try to 'meet him where he's at' while 'respecting the office'. 'I'll just meet him where he's at,' Mr Burnham told former footballer and podcast host Gary Lineker last week. 'And, you know, I like to think I've got some personality myself and I'll just, you know, I'll deal with him very upfront in the same way. I think he likes people to deal with him. 'He described Manchester as some town when he was referring to my position. And I might have to, you know what Mancs are like, Gary, that won't have gone down fantastically well in the city I used to represent. 'But yeah, you know, it's about being yourself, isn't it? It's about respecting the office, the relationship, the UK-US relationship. 'But, you know, where you disagree, do it, but do it in a way that is kind of meeting him where he's at.'