Just weeks into the job and Andy Burnham is already getting some blunt advice from across the Atlantic — Donald Trump says illegal migration is "killing" the UK and the new PM can't ignore it any longer.

So, here's what happened.

US President Donald Trump has urged Britain's new Prime Minister Andy Burnham to get a grip on illegal migration, in a characteristically forthright interview with GB News on Wednesday.

According to a report by cbinews.tv, Trump didn't mince his words. He said Burnham will eventually have to confront the issue, even if he's been trying to avoid it since walking into No.10.

"He's going to have to mention it because it's killing your country," Trump told the broadcaster.

He went on to take a swipe at the previous government too, saying: "I know Starmer did very little about it, and they're coming from all over the world. They're coming from Africa. They're coming from South America. They're coming from different parts of Asia. They're invading Europe."

"It’s an invasion, and the UK is a prime suspect," the US President added.

And the timing is pretty stark. Trump's comments landed just hours after more than 500 migrants crossed the Channel. GB News said 11 small boats were launched by people smugglers from various points along the French and Belgian coast, with departures spotted everywhere from Belgium right down to Dieppe in France.

It’s already a massive headache for the new government. When asked earlier this week if Burnham wants asylum hotels closed, a Downing Street spokesman was pretty tight-lipped, simply saying: "The work on that continues," and that there was "no change in that work that's being carried out by the Home Secretary in her department".

The numbers aren't slowing either. Cites Home Office figures showing 172 people crossed on the Wednesday of Burnham's first week, then 366 on Thursday in three boats, and another 103 on Friday.

Trump also gave a little insight into his early dealings with Burnham. On Burnham's first day in Downing Street, Trump said he had a "big job ahead of him".

On a recent call between the pair, Trump said it was "interesting, and went very well", adding: "I wished Prime Minister Burnham, GOOD LUCK AND GODSPEED!"

According to cbinews.tv, relations between the two leaders have been relatively stable in these early weeks, though there are a couple of flashpoints brewing. One is North Sea oil — the day before Burnham succeeded Sir Keir Starmer, Trump urged him to ramp up drilling, claiming it would take the UK "from a poverty-stricken disaster, to one of the richest countries anywhere in the world".

The other? Sources in Washington are reportedly uneasy about Burnham picking Ed Miliband as Foreign Secretary, given his past criticisms of Trump.

Behind the scenes, efforts to keep the UK-US special relationship on track are said to be continuing, with Burnham maintaining the policy of allowing US forces to use British bases for what the government calls "defensive" strikes linked to the Iran conflict.

Credit: cbinews.tv

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