Andy Burnham and Donald Trump “Terrific.” That was the word Donald Trump used to describe Andy Burnham this week. It’s a far cry from the belittling way the US president played down the prime minister’s past job in Greater Manchester by calling him a “mayor of a town” just last month. Clearly their one and only conversation over the phone on Burnham’s first day in No.10 won Trump over. So could a bromance be brewing? The president appears to be delighted over what he saw as the PM’s more open-minded attitude towards drilling in the North Sea. Keir Starmer refused to expand fossil fuel extraction on Trump’s instruction when he was in power while Burnham has vowed to take a “more pragmatic approach”. The president also loves a winner, and Burnham is still popular within Labour and the wider country right now – while Starmer became the most unpopular PM on record. However, like Starmer, Burnham is bound by Labour’s 2024 manifesto not to issue any more oil and gas exploration licences. That means any expansion of the North Sea will likely fall short of Trump’s hopes of “opening up” the whole area. The PM has avoided talking about the president at length so far, but claimed he won’t be afraid to call him out when he feels it is necessary. He also refused to say he trusts the president during a BBC interview, though he did invite him to Manchester. Burnham is perhaps wise to be cautious. He would not be the first UK prime minister to eventually incur Trump’s wrath over domestic policies – even if they started out on the right foot. Trump fell out with Theresa May over her “foolish” approach to Brexit, calling her EU deal a “disaster” – despite initial warmth between them. Boris Johnson was described as “Britain Trump” by the president himself, but they faced some frictions over Chinese company Huawei’s involvement in Britain’s 5G network. Starmer, initially described as the “Trump whisperer”, bent over backwards to appeal to the president, even inviting him for a historic second state visit to the UK. But they came to blows over the former PM’s refusal to get involved in the Iran war. They also clashed over immigration, Nato, Greenland, tariffs, wind turbines and North Sea drilling, meaning they were barely on speaking terms when he left office. And Burnham – at least, for now – is further to the left than any of those three predecessors, meaning the Republican president is even more likely to disagree with him. The prime minister’s decision to appoint Ed Miliband as foreign secretary might also be a major obstacle in their relationship. There is allegedly “genuine anger” at that decision due to Miliband’s opposition to North Sea drilling. The Trump administration has reportedly nicknamed him “Miliwatt” already in an apparent dig to his enthusiasm for net zero. The UK-US relationship may also be put to the test when, as is expected, Trump’s domestic power diminishes when his American supporters turn on him during the US midterms. That could mean Burnham – if he is still propped up in the UK polls – might be more outspoken if he believes the president looks weaker. Alternatively, Trump could turn on the prime minister as soon as his honeymoon period is over. In this week’s Commons People, we look at whether this really could be a strong alliance – and unpick all the potential pitfalls which could undo their relationship altogether. Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster. Related... Labour Overtake Reform UK In Poll Of Polls Thanks To 'Burnham Bounce' Donald Trump Is Convinced 'Terrific' Andy Burnham Will Save 'Bankrupt' Britain Burnham Vows His Government Will Be 'Relentless' In Tackling Small Boats Crisis