--- title: "Burnham's past Trump criticism 'no bar' to US-UK ties, minister says" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/burnhams-past-trump-criticism-no-bar-to-us-uk-ties-minister-says" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/burnhams-past-trump-criticism-no-bar-to-us-uk-ties-minister-says" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/burnhams-past-trump-criticism-no-bar-to-us-uk-ties-minister-says.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/burnhams-past-trump-criticism-no-bar-to-us-uk-ties-minister-says" category: "Politics" area: "United Kingdom" published: "2026-09-20T17:45:43.409Z" source_reported: "2026-09-20T16:44:25.000Z" updated: "2026-09-20T17:45:43.409Z" trust_score: 68 critic_score: 95 hype_score: 28 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-20T18:30:47.439160+00:00" --- # Burnham's past Trump criticism 'no bar' to US-UK ties, minister says *Labour chair Bridget Phillipson dismisses past comments as 'politics' ahead of leaders' meeting.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 68 of 100, higher is better. Trust 68: multiple named sources and independent outlets corroborate the meeting and past criticism details. - Craft 95 of 100, higher is better. Critic 95: clear attribution, quotes, context and next steps make the reporting well‑crafted. - Hype 28 of 100, lower is better. Hype 28: headline is mildly emphatic but body matches the factual content. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Prime Minister Andy Burnham's past criticism of Donald Trump will not impede a strong UK-US relationship, Labour chair Bridget Phillipson stated. - Phillipson described Burnham's previous comments about Trump as 'politics', suggesting they are not a barrier to cooperation. - Burnham and President Trump have spoken by phone at least twice since Burnham took office in July. - The two leaders are expected to meet in person next week at the UN General Assembly in New York. Prime Minister Andy Burnham's past critical remarks about Donald Trump will not prevent a strong relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States, according to Labour chair Bridget Phillipson. Phillipson, speaking on Sunday, characterised Burnham's previous comments as 'politics', asserting they are not an obstacle to bilateral ties. Burnham, who entered Downing Street in July, has spoken with President Trump by phone on at least two occasions. The Prime Minister and the US President are scheduled to meet face-to-face next week during the UN General Assembly in New York. Burnham has previously defended his outspokenness, stating he has a habit of saying what he feels and will continue to do so while seeking common ground. ## Differing views on Trump criticism The Daily Mirror reported that in 2021, Burnham posted on X that any UK politician who gave Trump the time of day should be ashamed. Labour chair Bridget Phillipson told Sky News that these past remarks were 'politics' and not a bar to a strong relationship. The Evening Standard also reported Phillipson stating that people express views at different points on different topics, and this is not a bar to a strong relationship. The Independent (US) digest stated that the Minister for Women and Equality and head of Britain's Labour Party, Bridget Philippson, assured that Burnham's previous critical comments would not interfere with the upcoming meeting. ## What the coverage left out No reports from the right-rated outlets covered this story. The digests from Nation.Cymru and The Independent (US) did not mention the specific date of Burnham's 2021 X post, nor did they detail the content of the phone calls between Burnham and Trump. The Evening Standard digest did not mention the specific date of the 2021 X post, nor did it detail the content of the phone calls between Burnham and Trump. ## Who covered it Shares of the 7 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 57% (4) - Centre: 43% (3) - Right: 0% (0) 2 of 9 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-20T18:30:47.439160+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 4 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-20T18:45:24.851Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The left-rated reports led on Bridget Phillipson's assertion that Prime Minister Andy Burnham's past criticism of Donald Trump would be 'no bar' to a strong US-UK relationship. The Daily Mirror and The Independent (US) highlighted Burnham's 2021 social media post where he stated any UK politician giving Trump the time of day should be ashamed. The Daily Mirror quoted Phillipson describing these past comments as 'politics'. Perspectivemedia.com's digest also focused on Phillipson's statement that past criticism was 'politics' and 'no bar to having a strong relationship'. ### Centre - Centre-rated reports focused on Bridget Phillipson's statement that Prime Minister Andy Burnham's past criticism of Donald Trump was 'politics' and would not be a barrier to a strong relationship. The Evening Standard reported Phillipson's comments to Sky News, noting the upcoming face-to-face meeting at the UN General Assembly. iNews's digest highlighted the 'six words' that could save Burnham's meeting with Trump, though the digest did not specify what those words were. ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 2 - high: 4 - unknown: 2 - veryHigh: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Political Wire](https://politicalwire.com/2026/09/20/andy-burnham-hopes-to-build-bridges-with-trump) — Andy Burnham Hopes to Build Bridges with Trump - [iNews](https://inews.co.uk/opinion/six-words-save-burnhams-meeting-trump-4768646) — The six words that could save Burnham’s meeting with Trump - [Nation.Cymru](https://nation.cymru/news/burnhams-past-criticism-of-trump-no-bar-to-strong-relationship-minister) — Burnham’s past criticism of Trump ‘no bar to strong relationship’ – minister - [The Independent](https://independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/andy-burnham-donald-trump-meeting-new-york-b3053098.html) — Minister dismisses Burnham’s past Trump criticism as ‘politics’ ahead of meeting - [Daily Mirror](https://mirror.co.uk/news/politics/trump-andy-burnham-meeting-criticism-37681956) — Burnham's past Trump criticism will be 'no bar' to strong US-UK relationship - [Unknown](https://eurointegration.com.ua/news/2026/09/20/7245876) — Burnham's Party Does Not Believe that His Past Comments About Trump Will Spoil the Leaders' Meeting - [perspectivemedia.com](https://perspectivemedia.com/burnhams-past-criticism-of-trump-no-bar-to-strong-relationship-minister) — Burnham’s past criticism of Trump ‘no bar to strong relationship’ – minister - [Evening Standard](https://standard.co.uk/news/politics/donald-trump-andy-burnham-prime-minister-bridget-phillipson-new-york-b1297649.html) — Burnham’s past criticism of Trump ‘no bar to strong relationship’ – minister - [The Independent (US)](https://the-independent.com/news/uk/home-news/donald-trump-andy-burnham-prime-minister-bridget-phillipson-new-york-b3053083.html) — Burnham’s past criticism of Trump ‘no bar to strong relationship’ – minister ## Questions **What did Bridget Phillipson say about Andy Burnham's past criticism of Donald Trump?** Bridget Phillipson, Labour chair, stated that Prime Minister Andy Burnham's past criticism of Donald Trump was 'politics' and would not be a bar to a strong UK-US relationship. She suggested that people express views at different times and that this does not prevent a strong bilateral connection. **When are Andy Burnham and Donald Trump expected to meet?** Prime Minister Andy Burnham and President Donald Trump are expected to meet face-to-face next week at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. They have spoken by phone at least twice since Burnham became Prime Minister in July. **Did Andy Burnham previously criticise Donald Trump?** Yes, Andy Burnham previously criticised Donald Trump. According to The Daily Mirror, in 2021, Burnham posted on X that any UK politician who gave Trump the time of day should be ashamed. He has also defended his past remarks, stating he has a habit of saying what he feels. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/burnhams-past-trump-criticism-no-bar-to-us-uk-ties-minister-says. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Burnham's past Trump criticism 'no bar' to US-UK ties, minister says", https://mediabias.news/politics/burnhams-past-trump-criticism-no-bar-to-us-uk-ties-minister-says