Andy Burnham is hoping to find “common ground” with Donald Trump at their first face-to-face meeting on Tuesday in New York.
The prime minister told reporters: "We've found a connection. So, I will go with where I feel it's right, to meet him where he is at, and search for that common ground, which I'm sure we'll find.”
Mr Burnham also insisted he personally trusts Donald Trump, ahead of their first meeting, telling reporters: “When you come into this job, you realise how deep this relationship is.
“We trust our allies. Of course, we do.”
He and the US president will hold talks on Tuesday in the margins of the United Nations General Assembly meeting, which will see discussions on wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and the rapid development of AI.
The two leaders have held phone calls but this will be their first in-person meeting.
He is also set to tell the UN that the UK is not “on the slide” and attempt to draw a line under 10 years of post-Brexit turbulence as he meets world leaders.
It comes as Mr Burnham confirmed Britain will provide military support to Saudi Arabia to counter attacks by Iran-backed Houthis and protect energy supplies.
Key Points
- Burnham to find 'common ground' with Donald Trump
- Andy Burnham to tell United Nations that UK is not ‘on the slide’
- Burnham insists he can 'trust' Trump personally
- Analysis: PM cannot afford for first meeting with Trump to go badly
- UK to provide military support to Saudi Arabia in war against Houthis, Burnham confirms
Burnham to position UK as an 'honest broker' over AI issues
12:05 , Holly EvansAndy Burnham, who is being accompanied on his transatlantic trip by wife Marie-France van Heel, will also use his first UN General Assembly speech to focus on AI’s risks and opportunities.
The development of frontier models is being dominated by firms in the US and China, with concerns raised by experts that the breakneck pace of progress is coming at the expense of safety.
Mr Burnham is seeking to position the UK as an “honest broker” in bringing countries together to address the issue, comparing his role to that played by Gordon Brown in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.
He said recent warnings from AI experts about the risks it could pose to humanity “made me pause” but “I had already decided, though, to make a step change on AI when I came into the role”.
“I will be focusing on AI as a force for good, because it can be and it’s really important to keep that,” he said.
Opinion: Our people-pleasing PM faces his ultimate challenge in Donald Trump
11:40 , Holly EvansThe least of Andy Burnham’s worries as he prepares for the UN General Assembly in New York, and his first meeting with Donald Trump, is what he has said about the US president in the past.
Before he became prime minister, Mr Burnham was certainly critical of the president, taking the view in 2021 for example that “any politician who gave Trump the time of day should be ashamed right now”.
Yet it is a curious feature of Mr Trump’s generally vengeful personality that he doesn’t allow things said in the past to get in the way of business. After all, and despite some mildly disobliging remarks made in the past, Sir Keir Starmer managed to forge a surprisingly warm relationship with his counterpart, at least in the earlier phase of his premiership. Until the Iran war and disagreements about “civilisational erasure” in Europe soured the bromance, Sir Keir, ably assisted by Buckingham Palace, enjoyed a brief career as world champion “Trump whisperer”. That ended with the president dismissing Sir Keir as “no Winston Churchill”.
Read our full editorial here:
Our people-pleasing PM faces his ultimate challenge in Donald Trump
What can we expect from today?
11:21 , Holly EvansIt is currently just after 6am in New York, with Andy Burnham set for a busy day ahead meeting world leaders at the United Nations.
At around 12.20pm UK time, he will meet with Josh Turner, a Manchester-born entrepreneur, before attending a roundtable with business and investment leaders.
At 4.45pm, he is due to hold a meeting with Donald Trump before both of them make opening statements, followed by bilateral meetings with Ursula von der Leyen, Volodymyr Zelensky and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
At 9:45pm, he is set to attend a Middle East event with Emmanuel Macron and Canada’s Mark Carney, before addressing the UN General Assembly at 12:30am.
We’ll be bringing you all the latest.
Government borrowing hits second-highest August on record in setback for Healey
11:02 , Holly EvansUK Government borrowing rose in August to the second-highest level for the month on record, coming in above forecasts and piling pressure on Chancellor John Healey ahead of his first autumn Budget, figures show.
Public sector net borrowing rose to £18.3 billion in August, which was £3.5 billion more than what official Government forecasters had been expecting, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
The figure was £2.9 billion, or 19 per cent, more than the same month last year and marked the second-highest August borrowing on record, behind that of 2020.
Public sector net borrowing shows the difference between what the Government spends on the public sector and what it makes from taxes and other income.
The ONS said the jump was driven by spending increasing more than the Government was generating from taxes and other receipts.
This partly reflected inflation-related costs and spending on the state pension and other benefits.
Rising debt interest costs are set to create challenges for Mr Healey whose fiscal headroom remains stretched, a month away from him delivering his first autumn Budget statement in October.
Burnham to find 'common ground' with Donald Trump
10:27 , Holly EvansAndy Burnham has said he is expecting to find “common ground” with Donald Trump during their first in-person meeting.
Since entering No10, the prime minister and the US president have spoken twice on the phone.
He told reporters: "We've found a connection. So, I will go with where I feel it's right, to meet him where he is at, and search for that common ground, which I'm sure we'll find.
He added: "I'm looking forward to it."
UK borders are secure, minister says after migrant boat reaches coast undetected
10:09 , Holly EvansThe UK’s borders are secure, a minister has insisted after a migrant boat reached the Kent coast without being intercepted.
Five people were detained and passed to Border Security Command after the dinghy made it to shore at Folkestone on Monday – the first undetected landing for a year.
Defence minister Luke Pollard dismissed suggestions the Government had lost control of the border.
“Our borders are secure, but we want to make them stronger,” he told LBC Radio on Tuesday.
Asked how the boat slipped through, Mr Pollard said a Home Office investigation was under way to determine what had happened, without going into detail.
He also said: “We’re aware that the boat that got through, everyone has been detained on it.”
The thousands of migrants crossing the Channel are usually brought to shore by Border Security Command or RNLI boats.
No small boat arrivals to the UK coast without an escort have been officially recorded since 6 September 2025.
Support for Reform UK falls to lowest level since 2024, poll shows
09:47 , Holly EvansA recent poll has shown support for Reform UK has fallen to its lowest level since the 2024 general election.
The YouGov poll for Sky News and The Times has put the party in joint second place with the Conservatives, suggesting Kemi Badenoch’s popularity is improving while Nigel Farage’s appeal is waning.
The voting intention tracker places Labour at 23 per cent, with Reform UK and the Tories at 21 per cent each.
Our latest Westminster voting intention poll (20-21 September 2026) continues to show a close heat between the largest parties
— YouGov (@YouGov) September 22, 2026
Labour: 23% (no change from 13-14 Sep)
Conservatives: 21% (+1)
Reform UK: 21% (-2)
Greens: 14% (+3)
Lib Dems: 12% (-1)
Restore Britain: 4% (+1)
SNP: 2%… pic.twitter.com/vax8vCGtXF
Prime minister seeks to avoid ‘collateral damage’ to UK industry from EU scheme
09:29 , Holly EvansAndy Burnham will urge Brussels’ top official Ursula von der Leyen not to use protectionist measures to freeze UK firms out of European contracts.
The prime minister will meet the European Commission president in the margins of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday with a message that “we are not your enemy”.
He will warn that UK industry risks becoming “collateral damage” as a result of the EU’s scheme to protect its manufacturing businesses from being undercut by competition from China.
The so-called “Made in Europe” scheme – formally known as the Industrial Accelerator Act – could damage firms which are closely linked to supply chains across the continent.
The EU’s proposals intend to focus public contracts and subsidies for clean technologies such as electric vehicles and green energy on manufacturers based within the bloc.
The move could potentially hit some British manufacturers and firms supplying components to companies based in the EU.
Mr Burnham said he would be raising the concerns directly with Ms Von der Leyen in New York.
“We do have concerns about Made in Europe, which is something that could affect British industry and British supply chains,” he said.
“I will meet the President of the European Commission… and I will, in a constructive spirit, put on the table some of our concerns towards those things.”
Analysis: A new stance on Brexit could help Burnham win the next election – but he will have to fight for it
09:15 , Holly EvansAsk any UK opposition party leader and they’ll tell you that they can see very few differences between Sir Keir Starmer and the man who replaced him.
From the economy to foreign policy, Andy Burnham has given very little away when it comes to his agenda for his time in office and, on many issues, has said he will continue work started by Sir Keir.
But as he took questions from journalists on his plane to New York, it took just a few minutes for Mr Burnham to offer up a key divergence from his predecessor when it comes to Britain’s relationship with Europe.
In response to a direct question from The Independent, he did not rule out putting a pledge to rejoin the EU in Labour’s next election manifesto – a stance very different to that of Starmer’s government.
Read the analysis from our Whitehall editor Kate Devlin here:
A new stance on Brexit could help Burnham win the next election
Rejoining the EU could be in Labour’s next manifesto, Burnham suggests
09:03 , Holly EvansAndy Burnham appeared to leave the door open to reversing Brexit as he failed to rule out putting a pledge to rejoin the EU in Labour’s next manifesto.
It comes hours before the prime minister will tell world leaders in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly in New York that Britain is entering a new era. He said he would point to last decade “with Brexit and turbulence – and say we’re moving beyond that”.
Asked directly by The Independent if he could rule out a promise to rejoin the bloc in his party’s manifesto, Mr Burnham said it was a question “for another day”.
Read the full article here:
Rejoining EU could be in Labour’s next manifesto, Burnham suggests
Defence minister says Saudi Arabia support will be for 'defensive actions'
08:54 , Holly EvansBritish military aid to Saudi Arabia will conform with international law, a defence minister has said.
Luke Pollard told Sky News: “They’ll be for defensive actions, where all actions will be in compliance with international humanitarian law, because UK military assets are not used if there’s any doubt around IHL compliance.
“And that is not only supporting our friends in Saudi Arabia being able to defend themselves against the attacks the Houthis have made on them, but it’s also about supporting our own national security and the flow of navigation, flow of traffic through the Bab al-Mandab Strait.”
Asked if it was also the morally right thing to do, Mr Pollard said: “In dangerous times, good friends stand together, and there’s a morality of being true to our allies.
“Saudi Arabia have requested air-to-air refuelling. After discussion, we’ve agreed to that request.
“That is a key part of being able to project not just our values, but also our values around national security, but also about supporting allies in these difficult times.”
UK to provide military support to Saudi Arabia in war against Houthis, Burnham confirms
08:39 , Holly EvansBritain will provide military support to Saudi Arabia to counter attacks by Iran-backed Houthis and protect energy supplies, Andy Burnham has confirmed – marking his first authorisation of military action as prime minister.
Speaking to The Independent en route to New York for the UN General Assembly, where will meet Donald Trump face-to-face for the first time, Mr Burnham revealed he had agreed to Riyadh’s request for defensive air-to-air refuelling.
Advances by the Houthis in Yemen in recent weeks have also seen the rebel group launch attacks across Saudi Arabia, extending the wider Middle East conflict and further threatened global energy supplies.
Read the full article here:
Burnham approves UK military support for Saudi Arabia in war against Houthis
AI does not keep me awake at night, defence minister insists
08:26 , Millie CookeArtificial intelligence does not keep me awake at night, a defence minister has insisted, but he said we must "keep a very close eye" on it.
As Andy Burnham travels to the UN in New York, Luke Pollard argued that Britain must be "at the top table" for the development of AI, saying that it will be "such an important part" of the prime minister's remarks at the summit.
Mr Pollard told Sky News: "As a defence minister, there's lots of things that keep me awake at night, but AI is not one of those because I know the systems that we have are robust and secure.
"But the way that AI can be used with other weapon systems by countries that might not have the same values, have the same moral code as Western nations do, is something that means that we have to keep a very close eye on this.
"And the best way of doing that is instead of being a spectator on the sidelines, commenting on what happens on AI, as a nation, the United Kingdom is on the pitch. We are at the top table for artificial intelligence, and that is a really important place for us to be.
"It's the reason why the prime minister is making AI such an important part of his remarks at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where he is at the moment.
"Why we'll be working with our friends and allies to make the case. But as a global technology, we need global solutions to it."
Burnham will try to persuade Trump to back Chagos deal, minister suggests
08:15 , Holly EvansA government minister has suggested that Andy Burnham will use his meeting with Donald Trump to persuade him to back the controversial agreement to hand the Chagos Islands over to Mauritius.
The United States previously backed the deal, but Mr Trump later expressed concerns over security as a result of a joint UK-US military base housed on Diego Garcia in the Chagos archipelago.
Defence minister Luke Pollard told Sky News: "My key concern is making sure that the United Kingdom and the United States that use the base on Diego Garcia can continue to operate it without any fettering, without any restrictions on our ability to do so.
"The best way to secure that is with an agreement that locks in the sovereignty position for the next century and beyond, and enables us to use that base.
“Now, that's an agreement that Donald Trump previously agreed with. It's one that the US national security infrastructure, from the US military, the CIA, and the other arms of that institution also agree with.
“So we have to make that case because this is one of the most important bases on the entire planet for the United Kingdom and for the United States, and finding a way of securing its operation is the key part of that."
He added: "Previously he backed it. He has chosen not to back it more recently, but that's why conversation with a good friend is important, and that's why we will continue to undertake that."
National security will be 'high up on agenda' for Trump-Burnham meeting, defence minister says
08:01 , Millie CookeIssues of defence and national security will be "high up on the agenda" for Andy Burnham's meeting with Donald Trump, a defence minister has said.
Asked whether Britain wants the US president to stop the war in Iran, Luke Pollard told Sky News: "I think less instability is good, and so the ability to get to a peace, to get to a conclusion of this activity, is an important step.
"And you know, the prime minister has spoken to Donald Trump a number of times since taking office. So this is his first in-person meeting, but it's not his first conversation. And issues around defence and national security are high up their agenda for all those conversations."
Burnham and Trump are unlikely bedfellows – but the PM cannot afford for their first meeting to go badly
07:46 , Holly EvansKeir Starmer has told friends that when Donald Trump infamously dropped the text of their historic UK-US trade agreement on the ground, after years of negotiations, the then prime minister’s first thought was “for f***’s sake”.
In front of a gaggle of photographers and television cameras, he followed his instinct and bent down to pick up pages of the precious deal, on which thousands of British jobs depended.
But the moment fed a wider criticism of Sir Keir – that he appeared too deferential to the unpredictable president.
Read the full analysis from our Whitehall editor Kate Devlin here:
Burnham cannot afford for his first Trump meeting to go badly
PM says 'right thing to do is have a laugh' about previous Trump criticism
07:37 , Holly EvansAndy Burnham has been critical of the US president in the past, including saying – as rioters stormed the US Capitol in 2021 – that “any UK politician who gave Trump the time of day should be ashamed right now”.
Before their first conversation, Mr Trump had suggested he knew little about Mr Burnham beyond that he was “very liberal” and the mayor of a “town”.
Mr Burnham told journalists: “Politicians say things throughout their career, but now the important thing is to focus on the moment you are in, and I did say to the president in our first phone call, I said Mr President, Manchester isn’t ‘some town’. I said ‘this is Manchester’.
“And so yes, the right thing to do is to have a laugh about it, isn’t it, and move beyond it.”
Burnham insists he can 'trust' Trump personally
07:17 , Holly EvansThe prime minister’s first face-to-face meeting with Mr Trump will take place in the margins of the UN gathering as the Ministry of Defence stepped up co-operation with American counterparts on the next generation of drones and artificial intelligence (AI) systems.
Mr Burnham’s previous criticism of the president and Mr Trump’s unpredictability, recent comments about Irish unification and hostility to UK immigration and clean energy policies make it a diplomatically awkward challenge for the Prime Minister.
Mr Burnham said he could “trust” the US president and the special relationship was as strong as ever.
He said: “When you come into this job, you realise how deep this relationship is.
“We trust our allies. Of course, we do.”
Asked if he trusted Mr Trump personally, the prime minister replied: “Yes.”
Andy Burnham to tell United Nations that UK is not ‘on the slide’
07:15 , Holly EvansAndy Burnham will insist the UK is not “on the slide” and attempt to draw a line under 10 years of post-Brexit turbulence as he makes his United Nations debut as prime minister.
He will address the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday after his first face-to-face talks with US President Donald Trump.
Mr Burnham will say he has a “really upbeat message” about the UK, although he acknowledged there were long-term issues which needed to be addressed to improve living standards.
The prime minister’s trip to New York comes ahead of the Labour Party conference later this month, a crucial first Budget of his premiership in October and the unveiling of his 10-year plan for the country.
He told reporters accompanying him on the visit: “The plan for Britain is about ‘what is our direction over the next 10 years and how do we make life more affordable for people’. That is my main priority, that’s what people are looking for.
“I hear people saying the country is on the slide – we’re the fastest growing in the G7, there’s lots to be proud of, there’s a lot right with the country and I’m going to give a really upbeat message when I speak.”
Mr Burnham said “we can be hopeful about where we’re going, we can draw a line under the last decade and say this next one’s going to be different”.
