UK's New Prime Minister Burnham Prepared to Criticize Trump When Necessary to Defend National Interests

Britain's new Prime Minister, Burnham, has indicated he is ready to openly criticize U.S. President Donald Trump when necessary to safeguard the UK's national interests, setting the tone for the crucial transatlantic relationship during his tenure.

In an interview broadcast on Sunday, Burnham described his phone call with Trump on Monday, the day of his official inauguration, as "a good conversation" and found Trump to be "very warm."

"We will continue to build this relationship as we move forward," Burnham added.

When asked whether he would trust Trump, Burnham responded: "The world is changing, isn't it? You obviously have to speak out based on how events develop."

Trump has frequently criticized the UK, along with other European and NATO allies, for failing to meet their responsibilities in the U.S.-led war against Iran.

However, Trump welcomed Burnham's plan to accelerate oil and gas exploration in licensed areas of the North Sea. In a post on Truth Social last week, Trump called North Sea oil "invaluable" and added that it would transform the UK from "a disaster country steeped in poverty into one of the richest countries in the world!"

Trump had previously criticized Burnham's predecessor, Keir Starmer, over the UK's energy policy. In an April interview, Trump stated: "All Starmer wants is expensive windmills (for power generation), which is driving your energy prices through the roof."

Starmer announced his resignation last month. His two-year tenure was marked by a series of policy U-turns, personnel appointment scandals, and heavy losses in UK local elections, prompting calls for his resignation from within his own party.

When journalist Laura Kuenssberg asked Burnham if he would be willing to openly criticize Trump if he believed it was right, Burnham said "of course," adding: "You have to put your country's interests first. That's what you must do to do this job well."

"I can't say at any time that I won't disagree with him, or that I won't put forward a different idea that is beneficial to the UK," Burnham stated.

Defense Spending

Burnham declined to provide a specific date for increasing defense spending to 3% of GDP.

Under Burnham, the new UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, John Healey, is expected to prioritize defense spending. Healey was appointed as Burnham's deputy just weeks after resigning as Starmer's Defence Secretary, citing his belief that the government was "unwilling to invest the resources the nation needs to defend the country."

Burnham said: "When I appointed the new Chancellor, I was very clear about his previous statements on the critical importance of defense spending and the position he has taken."

"The primary challenge we both face is to ensure adequate funding for the defense investment plan. This is our immediate task, and we need to resolve this before the budget later this year."

Starmer announced in June an additional £15 billion (approximately $19.9 billion) in defense spending over the next four years as part of the UK's defense investment plan. This would bring annual spending to £79.1 billion by 2029, equivalent to 2.7% of GDP.

The defense investment plan aims to enhance the UK's military capabilities, nuclear deterrent, and industrial capacity, while also paving the way for greater technological investment in areas such as cybersecurity, drones, and artificial intelligence.

However, analysts warn that high public debt and the highest borrowing costs among G7 nations could limit the new government's ability to significantly increase spending.