Trump describes Andy Burnham as 'extremely liberal'

Donald Trump has given his first public reaction to Andy Burnham, describing him as an "extremely liberal" politician who "probably won't open up" the North Sea for further oil and gas drilling.

He also labelled the former Greater Manchester mayor, and man most likely to be the UK's next prime minister, as "the mayor of a town".

Burnham's team have declined to comment on the US president's remarks.

The new MP for Makerfield is so far the only candidate in the race to replace Sir Keir Starmer as Labour Party leader and prime minister.

Trump's intervention underscores that the question of how to handle the US president would be one of the great challenges of Burnham's premiership.

As mayor of Greater Manchester, he has generally avoided commenting on foreign policy.

In a long career as a Labour minister and shadow minister, before becoming mayor, he has always focused on domestic policy areas.

Some supporters of Burnham are keen for him to continue doing that – even at a time of global turmoil – if he becomes prime minister. Much of Sir Keir's time has been consumed by global issues.

The UK is hosting the G20 summit of world leaders next year, as well as the smaller G7 gathering the year after – both of which Trump would attend.

Like many Labour politicians, Burnham has been critical of Trump in the past.

In 2017 he told the Manchester Evening News,, external he would refuse to meet the US president as a "matter of principle" if he were to visit Manchester during a planned state visit, accusing him of sharing "hateful extremist material" online.

He also called on the prime minister at the time Theresa May to withdraw her invitation of a state visit.

In 2021, following riots at the US Capitol, he posted on X:, external "Any UK politician who gave Trump the time of day should be ashamed right now."

And in 2016, he jokingly said, external he blamed Trump for American crowds who had made the Ryder Cup golf tournament "almost unwatchable".

During his campaign to be the Makerfield MP, he described US politics as "polarised" and "poisonous".

Despite having previously condemned Trump, some Labour ministers were able to forge close relationships with members of his administration - notably David Lammy who, as foreign secretary, built a friendship with US Vice President JD Vance.

Asked about the likely arrival of Burnham in Downing Street, Trump said, in comments that could irritate residents of one of the UK's largest cities, "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."

In the US the term liberal is usually used to refer to people on the left of politics or a socialist. In the UK, the word traditionally meant someone who opposed excessive government intervention.

Trump has repeatedly criticised Sir Keir's government for favouring renewable energy over oil and gas exploration.

One of the first items in Burnham's in-tray will be whether to approve the Jackdaw gas field, east of Aberdeen, and Rosebank, which sits off the Shetland Isles.

Rachel Reeves, who is not expected to stay as chancellor under a Burnham premiership, has said she would like to see big new energy fields in the North Sea get approval.

Speaking to the British Chambers of Commerce she said "I think the North Sea is a crucial asset and will be for years to come and am very keen to see us use that resource."

Trump said: "I gave Keir Starmer some pretty good advice. I said open up the North Sea, go to Aberdeen, which was the hottest city of the whole continent.

"It was the oil city of Europe, and they closed everything. It was terrible. I couldn't believe it."

Greenpeace has argued that further drilling would not "take a penny off our energy bill" but would increase carbon emissions.

The Conservatives won a by-election last week in Aberdeen South after campaigning for oil and gas drilling in the North Sea, arguing it would create jobs and improve energy security.