Burnham Invites Trump To Manchester

Andy Burnham discussed Manchester, the World Cup and efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz with Donald Trump in his first international call as prime minister.

A short while ago, we reported that the new PM spoke to his US counterpart. 

Now we have received a read-out of that call, which touches on both Burnham's domestic agenda and his focus on foreign affairs.

The spokesperson for the prime minister said: "The prime minister began by congratulating the president on a successful World Cup and agreed that England had an excellent tournament. 

"The prime minister also hoped that he would be able to show the president what Manchester had to offer during a visit in the future.

"Setting out his vision as prime minister of the United Kingdom, the prime minister said he would be focused on ensuring re-industrialisation up and down the country to ensure good growth in every postcode. 

"The prime minister also underlined his commitment to defence and security and said ensuring the security of the UK and its allies was at the top of his agenda.

"The president then updated on the situation in the Middle East, and the prime minister outlined the UK's commitment to securing the movement of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz to support global supply chains and drive down costs for businesses and families across the country."

Trump has previously criticised Andy Burnham as "extremely liberal" but has since praised him for his alleged focus on expanding drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea.