Trump says he has a better UK relationship with Burnham as PM – politics live

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'We've done a great job' - Trump defends his record in Iran

At the press conference the Guardian’s Pippa Crerar asked Donald Trump if he expected UK to help him if he chose to annihilate Iran. And she asked if he had any sympathy for the allies are suffering because of rising petrol prices due to the war.

Trump did not really engage with any of her points.

Instead, he gave quite a rambling answer, saying:

I think as soon as the war is over, the numbers are going to come way down, pricing generally.

Oil is the big thing when the oil goes up.

And we had to do that because we have to stop them. And I think we feel very united on that. We can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon.

And people understand that in the United States, and they’re paying less than Biden, by the way, less than the Biden administration. And yet he did nothing about the threat of nuclear terror.

It’s nuclear terror. We can’t have it. So we’ve stopped them from having a nuclear weapon. We’ve literally stopped them. They’re not going to have a nuclear weapon. And we’ll see what happens.

I think that a settlement is going to be reached. They want to talk to us. They have been talking to us, even today. The relationship is developing, let’s say.

But we can’t let them … have a nuclear weapon. And there’s a price to pay for that.

This should have been done by other presidents. Or, frankly, other countries. Some country could have stepped forward. But there aren’t too many countries, frankly, that could have handled that.

So I think we’ve done a great job. They will not have a nuclear weapon.

Yesterday Andy Burnham spoke to the prime minister of Mauritius, Navin Ramgoolam, This is what Downing Street said in the readout of the call about what was said about the Chagos Islands deal.

Turning to the future of the military base on Diego Garcia, the prime minister underlined his commitment to working with Mauritius and the United States on a way forward that secures the operation of the base and protects UK national security.

And this is what Nigel Farage, who has been urging Donald Trump to block the Chagos Islands deal for about a year, posted on social media tonight after Trump’s comments. (See 6.20pm.)

The Chagos deal is dead. Thank God.

Trump describes Chagos Islands deal as 'terrible', and claims Burnham has agreed to review it

Donald Trump described the Chagos Islands deal – a proposal by Keir Starmer’s goverment to give Mauritius sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, on condition that the US and the UK can continue to operate the Diego Garcia military base there for at least another 99 years – as “terrible”.

In the short press conference with Burnham, Trump said:

I don’t support it. I think it’s a terrible deal.

They all of a sudden say they have ownership, somebody has ownership that never showed up before after decades and centuries. I think it’s ridiculous. No, we were talking about that.

It’s strategically very important, very important. You know, we had to send our B-2 bombers when we bombed the Iran nuclear, we sent the B-2 bombers back home to Missouri. As opposed to flying for a short period of time, they had to fly for a long period of time.

It’s amazing how strategic it is, and I think the prime minister is going to be looking at it. It’s very strategic location. And it’s unique

It’s a very important piece of real estate, militarily and strategically.

Andy Burnham responded with a simple: “Mmm, yup.”

Trump says his relationship with UK better now with Burnham as PM than with Starmer

Donald Trump was being polite and respectful for most of the very short press conference he held with Andy Burnham, but towards the end he could not resist a jibe about Keir Starmer.

Asked about UK-US relations by a reporter who said they had gone up and down, Trump replied:

No I think they’re up.

Well they’re more up now than they were with your last prime minister, let me put it that way.

I think right now, based on my relationship with the prime minister, Andy, I think that, I think we’re doing very well.

At one point the relationship between Trump and Starmer was good. But it got worse as Starmer started to criticise Trump publicly on issues like his proposal to annex Greenland, and his claim British troops avoided frontline action in Afghanistan. And the full rupture came when Keir Starmer refused to allow the US to use British airbases for attacks against Iran at the start of the war.

Trump says Burnham will be 'great PM', and Burnham says they have 'good connection', after friendly first meeting

At the start of the meeting with the press, this is what Donald Trump said about Andy Burnham.

I think he’s going to be a great prime minister. I think he’s got a lot of assets on his side.

We talked about everything from Rolls-Royce to energy, immigration. We covered a lot.

[The UK] is a really special country. And we are with you all the way, Mr Prime Minister.

And Burnham replied:

Thank you Mr President.

That’s wonderful. We really appreciate that.

This relationship matters so much to us. And we will build on that relationship.

You and I have established a good connection in our early discussions, and we’ve taken that further today.

We touched on Ukraine and it’s great to hear what you said today about the potential for progress there.

You know that we’re still ready to play our part in the Middle East in terms of helping you stop the conflict, open the strait [of Hormuz].

Obviously, we’re with you that Iran must never be a nuclear power.

We accepted a call from Saudi Arabia … we are prepared to play our part.

And obviously you were good enough today to let us talk about some issues on trade. The Falklands we mentioned. And you were good enough to listen to us on those issues.

So it has been great to be with you and the team today.

Andy Burnam with Donald Trump, and their advisers, at the UN. Photograph: Toby Melville/PA

Burnham admits immigration big issue in UK politics

Burnham picks up on the topic of immigration. He says:

It was a very big issue at the Makerfield byelection and a lot of the British media will know that.

And I spoke about it then – our commitment is to get to a controlled approach. That’s what people want to see.

They’re not against migration overall. They know that people work in the NHS and in the care system. [There’s a] difference, though, when it’s managed or when it’s uncontrolled.

And the small boats is a very big issue for people. But crossings this summer were down 50% there or thereabouts on the number six years ago.

So sometimes people don’t hear that the progress is being made. But the progress is being made.

Trump also went on a bit about immigration. He says he managed to stop border crossings into the US.

Trump adopts positive tone about Burnham, saying he thinks they can do business, after their first meeting

Donald Trump is talking.

He is referring to a “great election win”. It is not clear if he mean’s Labour’s in 2024, or Andy Burnham’s – in Makerfield.

Burnham thanks Trump for his remarks.

He says he thinks they have established a “good connection”.

The BBC’s Chris Mason asks Trump if Burnham is someone he can do business with.

Trump says he thinks he is.

He describes Burnham as a “natural businessperson”.

We’ve had a lot of discussions even before this meeting. We’ve spoken to each other numerous times on the phone. I think so, I think so. He gets it. He understands what he has to do.

(There are not many people who describe Burnham as a natural businessperson but, from Burnham’s point of view, at least it’s positive.)

At the UN the reporters covering the Trump/Burnham meeting are going in now.

Donald Trump arriving a bit earlier for his meeting with Andy Burnham. Photograph: Kylie Cooper/Reuters

Trump holding talks with Burnham

Donald Trump and Andy Burnham are meeting now.

Originally journalists were told they would talk to the press briefly at the start of the meeting.

But now reporters have been told that they will be let in as the meeting ends for some words. Whether that will just be a few platitudes as Trump and Burnham pose for pictures, or whether they will take questions, is not entirely clear.

They are not in the Oval Office in the White House (which is looking even more lavish than usual now that Trump has given it billionaire bling decor). Instead they are at the United Nations building, which is functional and a bit shabby. Here is a shot from the live feed from the room where reporters are waiting.

We were told that the meeting would last for about half an hour, which means it should have been over by now. But nothing ever runs on time at the UN …

Holding room where journalists are waiting, before being admitted to room where Trump and Burnham are meeting Photograph: Press Association