Burnham Seeks 'Common Ground' With Trump at First Face-to-Face Meeting During UN Week

Andy Burnham said he expects to find "common ground" with US President Donald Trump when the two meet in person for the first time on Tuesday in New York during the United Nations General Assembly week.

Both leaders are in the city for the annual gathering of world leaders. Downing Street said the prime minister and president have already spoken twice by phone since Mr Burnham took office in July, and described those calls as having established a "productive relationship."

"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," Burnham told reporters aboard his flight to the US. He added: "I'm looking forward to it." Asked about the state of the UK–US relationship, he said he believes it is "as strong as it's ever been."

Burnham travelled to New York with his wife, Marie-France van Heel, for a day of diplomacy and to deliver a speech to the UN General Assembly that is expected to highlight both the opportunities and the risks posed by artificial intelligence (AI). He said he will press for closer international cooperation on AI, a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, and renewed efforts to end the conflict in the Middle East, noting that "what happens abroad impacts each and every one of us at home."

New UK–US AI Partnership

The prime minister will also announce the start of work on a new UK–US AI and Autonomy partnership aimed at protecting critical national infrastructure through AI technologies. The plan is intended to strengthen collaboration on defence and infrastructure protection, though it has already attracted criticism from opposition figures.

Opposition Reaction

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey is expected to criticise the initiative at his party conference, arguing it "doesn't come close to meeting the scale of the threat" and "only risks making us more dependent on a Trump administration in the pocket of the tech bros." He will also call for a global pause on the development of superintelligent AI and propose an International AI Safety Agency. His remarks follow a series of warnings from within the AI industry about potential risks associated with the technology.

Military Milestone: Torpedo Launched From Uncrewed Undersea Drone

Ahead of the meeting, the UK disclosed a joint UK–US military milestone: for the first time, an American "heavyweight" torpedo was launched from a British uncrewed undersea vehicle. The torpedo was fired in UK waters from a 12-metre-long undersea drone called Excalibur, built in Plymouth. Downing Street said the weapon is "designed to sink ships and deep-diving submarines," and officials described the launch as a breakthrough for protecting critical assets such as deep-sea data cables.

"Our work together already shows what can be achieved when our two countries combine our expertise and innovation," the prime minister said.

Diego Garcia and the Chagos Islands

Reporters also pressed Burnham on the previously proposed arrangement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while leasing back the joint US–UK base on Diego Garcia. That deal was paused indefinitely in April after President Trump withdrew his support. Burnham said he had spoken to Mauritius's prime minister, Navin Ramgoolam, and pledged to "work towards a resolution" to secure the long-term operation of the base, which he called crucial to UK and allied security.

He was also asked about other topics raised during the trip, including comments that he had told Mr Trump the UK would take a pragmatic approach to North Sea oil and about an unrelated hoax message exchange; Burnham said he was not embarrassed by that episode.

Outlook

For a newly appointed British prime minister, the first face-to-face meeting with a US president is traditionally a pivotal moment. Officials acknowledge the added public scrutiny and political risk of appearing alongside a highly polarising and unpredictable American president, but Burnham has signalled a pragmatic, relationship-building approach focused on concrete cooperation on AI, security and international conflicts.