In his first United Nations appearance as Prime Minister, Andy Burnham is set to insist that Britain is not "on the slide", using the stage to signal a fresh start following ten years of post-Brexit upheaval.
On Tuesday, he will deliver an address to the UN General Assembly in New York, coming straight off the back of his first face-to-face discussions with US president Donald Trump.
Ahead of the speech, Mr Burnham indicated he would convey a "really upbeat message" regarding the UK, though he conceded that long-standing structural problems must be tackled to enhance living standards.
The Prime Minister’s visit to New York occurs ahead of a key period for his administration, which includes the Labour Party conference later this month, his government's initial Budget in October, and the upcoming launch of a 10-year national strategy.
Speaking to journalists travelling alongside him, he outlined the focus of his upcoming strategy: "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."
Expressing confidence about the nation's trajectory, Mr Burnham noted that "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".
Identifying the squeeze on household finances as "the biggest issue of our times", he stressed that while certain measures could "realistically be done to provide short-term help", achieving lasting affordability demands "long-term structural changes".
He underlined the need to offer optimism to the public, "because people are feeling ‘where is my ability to have a holiday?’ or ‘go on a night out, have a few beers’".
The Prime Minister’s initial face-to-face bilateral with Mr Trump takes place on the sidelines of the UN summit, coinciding with an expansion of joint efforts between the Ministry of Defence and American counterparts regarding advanced artificial intelligence (AI) systems and next-generation drones.
Navigating the encounter represents a delicate diplomatic test for the Prime Minister, given his past public criticisms of the president, Mr Trump’s history of unpredictability, his recent remarks concerning Irish unification, and his sharp opposition to British policies on immigration and clean energy.
Nonetheless, Mr Burnham maintained that he could "trust" the US president, asserting that the alliance between the two nations remains firm.
"When you come into this job, you realise how deep this relationship is," he observed. We trust our allies. Of course, we do."
When pressed on whether he trusted Mr Trump personally, the Prime Minister answered: "Yes."
Mr Burnham has previously voiced strong objections to the US leader, notably declaring – while rioters were breaching the US Capitol in 2021 – that "any UK politician who gave Trump the time of day should be ashamed right now".
Prior to their initial conversation, Mr Trump had implied he held limited knowledge of Mr Burnham, describing him merely as "very liberal" and associated with a "town".
Addressing those earlier comments, Mr Burnham remarked: "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."
Having recently sanctioned his initial military action as head of government – dispatching air-to-air refuelling capabilities in support of Saudi Arabian jets countering Houthi missile strikes – Mr Burnham confirmed he intends to discuss the Middle East crisis triggered by US strikes in Iran with Mr Trump.
He declared: "The message is that we want to see an end to the conflict as quickly as possible and we stand ready to play our part."
Accompanied on the transatlantic trip by his wife, Marie-France van Heel, the Prime Minister will also devote a portion of his maiden address at the UN General Assembly to the challenges and opportunities surrounding AI technology.
With the creation of cutting-edge frontier models concentrated primarily within American and Chinese tech firms, expert warnings have mounted that rapid advances are occurring without adequate safety precautions.
Mr Burnham aims to position Britain as an "honest broker" capable of uniting international powers on regulatory frameworks, drawing a parallel to Gordon Brown's global leadership during the 2008 financial crisis.
Reflecting on recent cautions raised by tech experts about potential threats to humanity, he admitted such warnings "made me pause", adding: "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.
