DONALD Trump is reportedly furious at Ed Miliband being appointed as the UK’s Foreign Secretary under Andy Burnham’s new look cabinet.
Miliband, the former Leader of the Opposition, is feared to be a “point of friction” between the US and UK after several jibes and disagreements with Trump in recent years.
Donald Trump is reportedly furious at Ed Miliband being appointed as the UK’s Foreign Secretary Credit: Getty
Miliband, the former Leader of the Opposition, is feared to be a ‘point of friction’ between the US and UK Credit: Alamy
In 2016, he warned Britain must do its best to “resist the worst of Trumpism” after Trump won the US election.
A year later he said the US president had “lowered the bar for idiocy”.
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The White House is said to be “deeply concerned” by Miliband’s appointment, according to the Telegraph.
They reportedly issued a warning during unofficial “access” talks between the Trump administration and Burnham’s top team after Starmer announced he was stepping down.
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Steve Bannon, Trump’s former chief strategist, said: “The Trump administration took the extraordinary step of warning the new Prime Minister that the United States would view the appointment of ‘red diaper’ baby and self-described socialist Ed Miliband as very injurious to the ‘special relationship’.”
One of the main points of difference between Miliband and Trump is where they sit on green energy.
Stubborn Miliband has always been reluctant to drill in the North Sea despite continued pressure for months when he was Energy Secretary.
However, there is now speculation Burnham could force him to drop the opposition to new oil and gas fields opening in Scotland.
One of the main points of difference between Miliband and Trump is where they sit on green energy and North Sea drilling Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Andy Burnham appointed Miliband as Foreign Secretary under his new Labour government Credit: AP
It comes just days after Trump branded the UK a “poverty-stricken disaster” but praised Burnham over reported plans to open new North Sea oil drilling.
A decision to grant drilling licences could affect two key fields – Rosebank and Jackdaw.
The new PM is being tipped to reverse a Labour manifesto pledge and allow new North Sea licences, according to reports.
In a Truth Social post the US president said: “The People of Aberdeen, in Scotland, are dancing in the streets because the new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, has stated that he will be opening up, all the way, the invaluable North Sea Oil!”
Trump described the North Sea as “one of the Greatest Sources of quality Oil on Earth”.
Trump has also blasted Net Zero zealot Miliband after he agreed to an “inappropriate” green deal with one of his biggest detractors – the governor of California Gavin Newsom.
Newsom signed a “memorandum of understanding” earlier this year with the UK over plans to work together on eco-tech such as offshore wind.
Despite the transatlantic friction, Miliband promised to “nurture” Britain’s “strong, enduring and essential alliance with the United States” in his first words as Foreign Secretary.
Ousted PM Starmer shared a tumultuous relationship with Trump during his short stint in Number 10.
And Burnham has already been warned he must keep Washington on side while trying to rebuild the UK as a European powerhouse in the face of global aggression from the likes of Russia and Iran.
Burnham has already reportedly given the go-ahead to the US to use British military bases for “defensive strikes” against Iran.
RAF bases like Fairford and Diego Garcia can continue to be used by the Americans to strike the Islamic Republic, Bloomberg reports.
It would be the first major national security judgment by the Labour leader and would avoid a major blow to the “special relationship”.
Miliband was one of the loudest voices against the UK sharing its bases with US bombers earlier this year as he led the opposition on the National Security Council in February.
He even helped Sir Keir deny a US request to use Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands which led to Trump describing Starmer as “not Winston Churchill“.
