Burnham expects to find 'common ground' with Trump in first meeting

Burnham says he expects to find 'common ground' with Trump at first meeting

Andy Burnham said he expects to find "common ground" with Donald Trump when the two meet face to face for the first time on Tuesday.

The prime minister and the US president are both in New York City for the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations.

The pair have spoken by phone twice since Burnham became prime minister in July, and Downing Street said those conversations created 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," the prime minister told reporters on his flight to the US, adding "I'm looking forward to it."

When asked about the state of UK-US relations, the prime minister said he believes they are "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 a speech to the UN General Assembly, which is expected to concentrate on the opportunities and dangers linked to artificial intelligence (AI).

He said: "I will be making the case for closer international co-operation on AI, a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, and renewed efforts to bring an end to the conflict in the Middle East because what happens abroad impacts each and every one of us at home."

The prime minister will also announce the beginning of work on a new AI and Autonomy partnership between the UK and the US, aimed at protecting critical national infrastructure using AI tech.

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey is expected to attack the plan on the final day of his party's conference, saying 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 superintelligent AI and suggest a new International AI Safety Agency.

His comments follow a series of stark warnings from the AI industry about the technology's possible dangers.

For a new British prime minister, the first meeting with a US president has always been a crucial moment, but officials are acutely aware of the extra risk of a public appearance alongside the most unpredictable president in American history.

Ahead of the meeting, the UK said that the UK and the US have, for the first time, fired an American torpedo from a British undersea drone during a military exercise.

The torpedo, which UK officials described as "heavyweight", is "designed to sink ships and deep diving submarines", Downing Street said.

It was launched in UK waters last week from a 12-metre long undersea drone called Excalibur, built in Plymouth.

It is the first time either the UK or the US has launched a torpedo from an uncrewed underwater vessel rather than a crewed submarine, and it is viewed as a breakthrough in efforts to protect vital infrastructure 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.

Burnham was also questioned by reporters about the UK government's plan to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius and pay to lease back the joint US-UK military base on Diego Garcia.

In April, it was confirmed that the deal had been paused indefinitely because Trump withdrew his support.

Burnham spoke to the Mauritian prime minister, Navin Ramgoolam, on Monday.

Reporters asked him to explain what he had told Ramgoolam, whether he backed the deal and whether he had a plan to persuade Trump to support it.

Burnham replied: "I said that we remain determined to secure the long-term operation of the base, which is crucial to our security and that of our allies.

"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."