Andy 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.
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.”
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UK agrees to provide military support to Saudi Arabia against Houthis Burnham to meet Trump for first time as world leaders gather at UN Sort: Newest first Oldest first September 22, 2026 7:35 amPM assured Mauritius he will work towards resolution on Chagos deal
Andy Burnham told the Mauritian prime minister he will work towards a resolution on the Chagos Islands deal, but admitted they do not have one “at the moment”.
The Chagos Islands, where the largest island of Diego Garcia has served as an American military base since 1971 (Photo: History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
In his first phone call with Navim Ramgoolam on Monday, the UK Prime Minister “underlined his commitment” to working with Mauritius and the US to secure the operation of the base.
“The assurance I gave was I will work towards a resolution, at the moment we don’t have that, but I gave an assurance that I would commit to working towards one.”
The call with the Mauritian prime minister came ahead of a bilateral meeting on Tuesday between Burnham and US President Donald Trump, who previously called the Chagos deal “an act of great stupidity”.
September 22, 2026 7:31 amUK agrees to provide military support to Saudi Arabia against Houthis
The Prime Minister said British planes will provide “defensive” air-to-air refuelling for Saudi jets.
Speaking to reporters as he travelled to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the Prime Minister said: “We have received a request from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for military support.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels march during a mobilisation campaign in Sanaa, Yemen (Photo: AP)The Iran-backed Houthis have secured a stranglehold over the Bab al-Mandab strait, a maritime chokepoint on the Red Sea, vital for traffic heading to Europe through the Suez Canal.
The UK mission will be limited to supporting Saudi aircraft defending the country from attack from drones and missiles rather than supporting strikes against the Houthis.
The use of the Voyager tanker is expected to start within days and the mission will be time-limited, with officials indicating it could last for “weeks”.
September 22, 2026 7:28 amBurnham to meet Trump for first time as world leaders gather at UN
The Prime Minister and the US president will hold talks on Tuesday in the margins of the United Nations General Assembly meeting as the Ministry of Defence stepped up co-operation with American counterparts on the next generation of drones and autonomous systems.
The US President will meet with Prime Minister Andy Burnham later today (Photo: Mark Schiefelbein/AP)
Burnham said he could “trust” the US president and the special relationship was as strong as ever.
He added: “We trust our allies. Of course, we do.”
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, Trump had suggested he knew little about Burnham beyond that he was “very liberal” and the mayor of a “town”.
September 22, 2026 7:26 amGood morning – and welcome back
It’s a major day for Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who will today meet US President Donald Trump for the first time in person.
Officials hope the talks will build on productive phone calls between the two leaders, but Burnham’s previous criticism of the president and Trump’s unpredictability, his recent comments about Irish unification and hostility to UK immigration and clean energy policies make it a diplomatically awkward challenge for the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham and his wife Marie-France Van Heel board a plane at Stansted Airport (Photo: PA)Meanwhile, Burnham last night confirmed he had agreed to give military support to Saudi Arabia in its struggle against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
He said he made the decision after discussions with Defence Secretary Wes Streeting and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband amid fears that the deepening Middle East crisis will add to cost pressures facing British households.
We’ll be hearing from Sir Ed Davey later, and we’ll bring you the latest.
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