Trump Hails Burnham as 'Natural Businessperson' and Says UK Is 'More Up' but Brands Chagos Deal 'Terrible'

US President Donald Trump has praised Prime Minister Andy Burnham as a 'natural businessperson' and claimed relations between Washington and London are 'more up' than they were under Sir Keir Starmer, even as he condemned the UK's Chagos Islands agreement as a 'terrible' deal.

The comments came after the leaders held their first face-to-face bilateral meeting on Tuesday, 22 September, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The 40-minute talks covered trade, energy, immigration, Ukraine and territorial disputes. However, the Chagos Islands emerged as a key disagreement.

Trump Praises Burnham and Contrasts Ties With Starmer

Trump said Burnham understood what needed to be done and spoke positively about the state of the UK-US relationship. Burnham said the pair had established a 'good connection' through two phone calls since he became prime minister in July. He said the relationship had been built around finding common ground despite their different political backgrounds.

Before taking office, Burnham had been critical of Trump and had previously said he would not meet him. He later said becoming prime minister meant putting past comments aside and dealing with the US president in the national interest.

Trump criticised the UK's agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while retaining a long-term lease of the Diego Garcia military base. He called the arrangement a 'terrible' and 'ridiculous' deal and questioned Mauritius's claim to the territory.

Trump also pointed to Diego Garcia's strategic importance to both countries, referring to the use of B-2 bombers during US operations against Iran.

Trump said Burnham would be looking at the agreement. Burnham said Britain remained committed to securing the long-term future of the base and would work to resolve the disagreement. The UK government has said the base is vital to British and American security.

Leaders Clash Over Artificial Intelligence Rules

AI was another area where the leaders put forward different approaches. Burnham has called for international principles and standards for AI, presenting the UK as a potential bridge between the US, Europe and China.

Trump has rejected international oversight of the technology. In his UN address, he said the US would not accept a global system to regulate AI and said Washington would encourage what he called 'super intelligence'. Despite the disagreement, the UK and US also announced closer cooperation on AI and autonomous defence technology.

Wider Agenda Covers Trade, Falklands and Middle East

The meeting also covered tariffs, North Sea oil and gas, Rolls-Royce, Ukraine and immigration. Burnham raised the Falkland Islands to reaffirm the UK's position on sovereignty. The leaders also discussed Iran's nuclear programme and the conflict in the Middle East.

Burnham has defended limited British military support for Saudi Arabia against Houthi attacks in Yemen, while also backing UK sanctions linked to Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which the UK government and the UN regard as illegal under international law. Trump said he was not familiar with the details of those sanctions.

According to Downing Street, British and US forces fired a US heavyweight torpedo from Excalibur, a 12-metre uncrewed underwater vessel built in Plymouth. Officials said it was the first time either nation had fired a torpedo from an uncrewed underwater vessel rather than a crewed submarine.

The government said it was the first time a US torpedo had been fired from a British undersea drone, as the two countries expand cooperation on underwater and autonomous technology.

During their joint appearance, Burnham also referred to his earlier criticism of Trump. As Mayor of Greater Manchester, he had opposed the president's proposed visit to the city and later said he would refuse to meet him.

Burnham said his role as prime minister required a different approach, adding that he was prepared to work with Trump where they could find common ground. He also joked about Trump previously referring to Manchester as a 'town', saying he did not hold the remark against him.