LONDON — As Prime Minister Andy Burnham prepares for his first in-person encounter with Donald Trump at the United Nations this week, two senior figures who have navigated the special relationship offer a strikingly candid roadmap: charm, humour, and genuine warmth will matter far more than policy alignment.
Lord Kim Darroch, who served as Britain’s ambassador to Washington when Trump first took office in 2016, has told The Independent that the US president operates on a fundamentally different wavelength from other world leaders. Sir Malcolm Rifkind, a former foreign secretary with decades of experience in transatlantic diplomacy, has advised Burnham to strike a careful balance between support and firmness on thorny issues. Together, their counsel paints a picture of a high-stakes bilateral meeting that demands political instinct as much as preparation.
Personal Chemistry Over Ideology
The advice from Lord Darroch is unequivocal: forget the briefing papers for a moment and focus on the human connection.
“People talk about the sort of ideological divide, the chasm between Labour and Trump’s Republicans,” he said. “What matters much more to Trump is personal chemistry.”
That assessment challenges the conventional wisdom that summits between leaders are won or lost on the strength of policy concessions. According to Lord Darroch, Trump is a leader who resists the rigid, agenda-driven format that typically governs diplomatic encounters between heads of state.
“He’s not like any other leader I came across in my career in terms of how he conducts these events,” Lord Darroch explained. “Normally, what happens is officials sort of prepare an agenda, all the obvious points, and they go through the two leaders’ agenda, comparing positions on each bit of discussion. Trump doesn’t really do that kind of structure. What he wants is a conversation.”
Instead, the president tends to speak about whatever is on his mind — recent events, global developments, sporting results, or Oscar winners. He enjoys banter and looks for signs that a counterpart can keep up with the rhythm of a freewheeling exchange. For Burnham, that means being quick on his feet and comfortable with a meeting that may never feel like a traditional negotiation.
Lord Darroch acknowledged that Trump might raise substantive topics such as immigration, energy prospects in the North Sea, or defence spending, given that the government has so far declined to explain how it plans to meet the target of committing three per cent of GDP to defence by 2030. But the ambassador stressed that the president also wants the meeting to succeed because his relationships with other European leaders are notably strained, while his affinity with the United Kingdom remains strong — a bond he attributes partly to his Scottish heritage.
Navigating Sensitive Territory
Sir Malcolm Rifkind’s contribution to the advisory brief centres on a clear imperative: do not back down, but do not provoke either.
“Be cool, humorous; give explicit support where Trump policy coincides with British interests, but be robust where it does not,” he advised. “No excessive compliments.”
The former foreign secretary offered specific guidance on two particularly sensitive subjects. Trump has repeatedly commented on Argentina’s bid to claim sovereignty over the Falkland Islands and on the prospect of Irish reunification. Sir Malcolm suggested that Burnham counter such remarks with a light but unyielding touch.
“Express support for any US, Denmark, Greenland deal but remind Trump that the Falklands have been British longer than Alaska has been American; and that Northern Ireland has as much entitlement to remain British as Florida has to remain American,” he said. “Do it with relaxed good humour but firmness.”
It is a delicate art, requiring Burnham to project confidence without arrogance and to signal disagreement without creating a public rift. For a prime minister still in the early weeks of his tenure, the test is as much about tone as it is about substance.
A Summit Overshadowed
Despite the significance of the encounter, the bilateral meeting has been somewhat eclipsed by the simultaneous visit of China’s President Xi Jinping. An ally of Trump told The Independent that the timing was unfortunate, with the bulk of diplomatic attention and media focus absorbed by the Chinese president’s presence.
“It’s really unfortunate timing. All the oxygen is being sucked out by the Xi visit and that is where the president’s focus is,” the ally said.
Yet there is a note of levity on the horizon. A Trump ally pointed out that the G20 is scheduled to take place in Manchester next year, meaning the president will be welcomed to the city by Burnham himself — a prospect that could serve as an early incentive for a productive relationship.
The meeting is not expected to be dominated by Burnham’s decision to sanction Israeli settlements, diplomatic sources have noted. Anti-Israel policies adopted by Spain and Ireland have not prevented those countries maintaining strong working relationships with the president, suggesting that the issue, while contentious, may not prove the defining friction point of the summit.
Why it Matters
This first face-to-face meeting between Burnham and Trump carries weight far beyond the choreography of a single photo opportunity. In a global order increasingly defined by volatile personalities and shifting alliances, the ability to build a functional personal rapport with the White House has tangible consequences for trade, security cooperation, and Britain’s standing on the world stage. The counsel offered by Lord Darroch and Sir Malcolm Rifkind underscores a broader truth about modern diplomacy: that prepared agendas can only take a leader so far, while genuine human connection — managed with skill and discipline — remains the most reliable currency in international relations. Burnham’s success or failure at this summit could shape the trajectory of the special relationship for years to come.
