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Andy Burnham is reviewing Labour's Chagos deal after incurring Donald Trump's wrath during their first meeting last night.
The Prime Minister was forced to look on stony-faced as the US President rounded on the 'terrible deal' to hand sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius.
asserted
President → see → Mauritius
Asked about Mr Trump's comments later, Mr Burnham said he had 'inherited the situation and we need a resolution', adding: 'It's critical to safeguard the future of the base, and that matters to us for security reasons, but also clearly to the United States as well.'
The PM risked a further backlash from Washington by opening the door to fighting the next election on a pledge to rejoin the European Union.
asserted
PM → ask → Union
Mr Burnham also suggested that the 2016 referendum result had been manipulated by 'outside forces'.
uncertain
result → suggest → forces
In the past, President Trump has described himself as 'Mr Brexit' and has singled out the EU for tougher trade tariffs.
asserted
Trump → describe → tariffs
Government sources voiced relief that Mr Burnham's first face-to-face meeting with his volatile counterpart, at the UN General Assembly in New York, had not descended into the kind of slanging match seen with other world leaders.
But the PM was forced to sit and watch as Mr Trump savaged the deal to hand the Chagos Islands to China ally Mauritius – and pay £35billion for the privilege.
asserted
Trump → voice → privilege
Andy Burnham addresses the 81st United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City
Donald Trump tonight launched a fresh attack on Labour's 'terrible deal' to surrender the Chagos Islands in his first meeting with Mr Burnham
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Trump → address → Burnham
Speaking to reporters en route to New York, Mr Burnham had said he was 'determined' to see through the deal, adding it was critical to the long-term operation of the UK-US base on Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Indian Ocean archipelago.
asserted
it → speak → archipelago
He said he would 'work towards a resolution' with the President, whose agreement is needed.
asserted
agreement → say → President
But Mr Trump said the PM had failed to change his mind, saying: 'I don't support it.
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I → say → it
I think it's terrible.
asserted
it → think → ?
They [Mauritius] all of a sudden say they have ownership.
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they → say → ownership
Somebody has ownership that never showed up before after decades and centuries.
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that → have → decades
I think it's ridiculous.
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it → think → ?
No, we were talking about that, and [the islands are] strategically very important.
asserted
islands → talk → that
You know, we had to send our B2 bombers... back home to Missouri [after a bombing raid on Iran], as opposed to flying for a short period of time.
asserted
we → know → time
It's amazing how strategic it is, and I think the Prime Minister is going to be looking at it.'
asserted
Minister → think → it
Mr Burnham nodded in agreement and replied: 'Yeah.'
Senior Tory MP Alex Burghart told the Daily Mail: 'Keir Starmer did huge damage to Britain and Andy Burnham is picking up where he left off.
'
asserted
he → nod → Britain
In the space of 24 hours, he has backed giving away the Chagos Islands and opened the door to rejoining the EU.
asserted
he → back → EU
Apparently, he can find money for Mauritius and Brussels, but not for our Armed Forces.
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he → find → Forces
He just wants to keep fighting old battles.
asserted
He → want → battles
Reform UK's Nigel Farage said: 'Burnham has no fresh ideas in his head, it is a continuation of the Starmer double surrender.
asserted
it → say → surrender
'If Burnham won't start putting British interests first, a Reform government will.
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government → start → interests
Under the terms of Labour's deal with Mauritius, Britain would hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius and then pay to lease back the UK-US military base on Diego Garcia
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Britain → hand → Garcia
Mr Burnham tried to frame the meeting as a positive one, insisting of Mr Trump: 'I can certainly work with him.
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I → try → him
We've established a good connection in the discussions we've had, and that very much came through today: a lot of common ground on the cost of living, we agreed around the conflict in the Middle East and the importance of bringing an end to it, getting the Strait [of Hormuz] open, and obviously making sure that Iran doesn't end up a nuclear power.
asserted
Iran → establish → Hormuz
Mr Burnham also sparked fears that he may fight the next election on a pledge to rejoin the EU – abandoning the 'red lines' set out in Sir Keir's 2024 manifesto.
uncertain
he → spark → manifesto
Asked by reporters if he was considering the prospect, he replied: 'Our focus at the moment is on a UK-EU summit which we hope will take place later this year.
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we → ask → place
And as I said, my immediate priority is to build on the good work that Keir did in rebuilding bridges.
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Keir → say → bridges
Because those bridges were broken in the early part of this decade.
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bridges → break → decade
And Keir did a good job in re-establishing that relationship.'
asserted
Keir → do → relationship
Ahead of talks last night with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, Mr Burnham said a new deal with Brussels would 'further boost the British economy'.
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deal → say → economy
He also suggested voters had been misled into voting to Leave in 2016, saying: 'I'm reflecting on that last decade.
'
uncertain
I → suggest → decade
What we've experienced is when that turbulence comes when outside actors seek to manipulate, to distort facts, influence the British democratic process.'
asserted
actors → experience → process
Mr Burnham's first foray onto the international stage seemed fraught with danger, with Britain at odds with the US on issues ranging from Palestine to AI.
But Mr Trump said the so-called Special Relationship was 'more up' following the departure of Sir Keir, with whom he fell out spectacularly over the Iran war.
asserted
he → seem → war
The President said: 'I think you're up.
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you → say → ?
Well, they're more now than they were with your last Prime Minister, let me put it that way.
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me → let → it
I think right now, based on my relationship with your Prime Minister, Andy, I think we're doing very well.'
asserted
we → think → Minister
He also seemed to feign ignorance about Labour's sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, rather than putting Mr Burnham in a tight spot.
asserted
He → seem → spot
The PM, who once described Mr Trump as 'poisonous', told him it had been 'great to be with you'.
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it → describe → you
Earlier this week, Mr Burnham told his counterpart from Mauritius, Navin Ramgoolam, that he would do 'everything possible' to make the Chagos handover happen.
asserted
handover → tell → everything
…and 3 more, not listed.
The Aporia
