Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he would be prepared to challenge Donald Trump when necessary to defend Britain’s national interest.
He also ruled out an early general election before 2029, while declining to set a date for raising defence spending to 3% of GDP.
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In his first major interview since entering Downing Street, Mr Burnham said his initial exchange with the US president had been positive and described Mr Trump as “really warm”.
However, when asked twice whether he trusted the president, Mr Burnham declined to give a direct answer.
He said: “It’s a changing world isn’t it, and you just obviously have to call things as they develop.”
Speaking to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, Mr Burnham added: “I can’t at any point say that I won’t take a different opinion from him [Trump], that I will need to voice a different idea that is right for Britain.”
Asked whether he would call out the president if he believed it was the right course of action, Mr Burnham replied: “Of course.”
He added: “You have to defend your own national interest before anything else. That’s what you’re required to do if you’re to do this job properly.”
The Prime Minister said he had felt “concern” about Mr Trump starting the conflict with Iran and insisted he “wouldn’t hold back from saying what I think is right”.
Mr Burnham also sought to emphasise that becoming Prime Minister would not separate him from the voters who had propelled him to power.
“My strength is remaining close to people, close to the public, that will not change as prime minister,” he said.
The interview comes during the early stages of the new Labour administration, with Mr Burnham facing questions over defence spending and whether he could seek a fresh electoral mandate.
He refused to commit to a date by which the UK would spend 3% of GDP on defence.
His Chancellor, John Healey, had resigned from the previous government after arguing that the country would not be safe unless that level of spending was achieved by 2030.
Mr Burnham said: “I appointed my new chancellor very aware of what he had said about the critical importance of defence spending and the position that he had taken about that.
“The first challenge facing us both is to ensure that the defence investment plan is fully funded and that’s the thing that’s right in front of us and we need to work that through as we go towards the budget later this year.”
Asked specifically about reaching the 3% target, he said: “We’ve got to work out the way of doing that.”
Mr Burnham also explicitly ruled out calling an early general election before 2029.
“I’m going to rule it out... I don’t think people want it,” he said, adding that his priority was “getting the country back where it should be”.
His government has already triggered significant political change in Scotland.
Anas Sarwar resigned as Scottish Labour leader after accepting a ministerial role in Mr Burnham’s administration. He is set to receive a peerage, allowing him to enter the House of Lords. He does not need to be a Lord to serve in Burnham's government.
Mr Sarwar’s departure has opened a contest for the Scottish Labour leadership, with Monica Lennon confirming she will put herself forward to succeed him.
Ms Lennon, who is expected to return to Holyrood through the Glasgow regional list, has warned that the party faces “oblivion” without radical change.
MSPs Michael Marra, Daniel Johnson and Paul Sweeney have also been discussed as possible contenders.
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