UK not ‘on the slide’, Burnham to inform UN as he gears up for first assembly with Trump – UK politics dwell | Politics
Key occasions
Kanishka Narayan, the minister for AI, is on the journey to New York with the PM. In a video that he recorded on the airplane, he says the actual fact that he’s going reveals that AI is now “prime of the transnational agenda”. He says his message to the business has been “take dangers critically”.
Burnham urged by ex-cabinet minister to hitch allies calling for obligatory, pre-release testing of frontier AI fashions
According to the overnight briefing from No 10 forward of his speech to the UN, Andy Burnham will make AI (synthetic intelligence) one of many predominant themes of his go to to New York. Downing Street says:
Major international challenges equivalent to AI, the unrest in Ukraine and safety within the Middle East are anticipated to dominate the agenda of the prime minister’s conferences in New York over the subsequent 24 hours, as international stage leaders converge on town.
The prime minister is predicted to make use of the go to to drive ahead international work on AI, each to make sure it’s getting used as a power for good and to maximise alternatives to make use of the know-how to ship security and safety for folks at dwelling.
His speech to the UN basic meeting on Tuesday night is predicted to give attention to AI, making the case for the transnational group to harness the know-how for good to drive down the price of dwelling and assist a extra secure and safe international stage.
As a part of utilizing AI responsibly to assist folks at dwelling, the prime minister will announce the launch of labor between the UK and US on a brand new AI and Autonomy partnership. This collaboration will assist the UK shield vital nationwide utilities, from sea lanes to airspace – enabling us to detect threats and deter our adversaries utilizing the most recent AI know-how developed on each side of the Atlantic.
The press launch implies that Burnham, not less than on this journey, might be extra fascinated about how AI can used to threaten Russia than in how steps may be taken to cease AI wiping out humanity. The press discover additionally says “the UK’s Ministry of Defence Rapid AI Delivery Taskforce and the US’s Department of War Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office work collectively on synthetic intelligence and autonomy”.
Sam Coates from Sky News points out that many main international locations, in addition to the European Union, yesterday backed a name from the Finnish authorities for obligatory security testing of all essentially the most superior, frontier AI fashions earlier than they’re launched. But the UK didn’t enroll, he says. He reports:
This Finnish initiative – pushing obligatory testing of Frontier AI fashions earlier than launch – has the backing of the leaders of Australia, Canada, Germany, the EU, Bahrain and Singapore. https://presidentti.fi/en/a-call-for-control-of-frontier-ai-models/ It’s dated yesterday 21/9. The UK can have been requested.
But Andy Burnham has not signed – and seems on the UN basic meeting as we speak to be taking a unique – arguably weaker – path. Burnham goes to the UN arguing nearly precisely the alternative impression: that Britain is uniquely positioned to steer transnational AI governance, mediate between the US and China and make AI a centrepiece of its 2027 G20 presidency.
And there’s no point out of Britain backing obligatory pre-release testing of AI, not like the opposite international locations. The language within the press launch is rather more watery: he needs to make sure AI is used “for good” however avoids specifics.
Darren Jones, chief secretary to the PM when Keir Starmer was in Downing Street, has stated the federal government shouldn’t be shunning this initiative. He says:
It’s nice to see @alexstubb offering this management and bringing different international locations collectively to name for pre-deployment testing.
The listing of signatories to the ‘Call for Control of Frontier AI Models’ are the United Kingdom’s pure allies.
The UK has particular entry to American AI fashions by way of the AI Security Institute, which is partly why the UK Government will need to stay in lock step with the United States.
But I don’t see any cause why the UK can’t signal as much as the Finnish proposal. I encourage our authorities to take action and to supply to dealer settlement on its utility with the United States.
No 10 confirms Manchester to host subsequent yr’s G20 summit
The remark from Andy Burnham criticising Donald Trump from 2017 quoted earlier (see 9.58am) referred to the prospect of Trump visiting Manchester throughout his state go to. In reality, he by no means went close to town. But subsequent yr he could also be there, as a result of No 10 has introduced that it’s going to host the G20 summit.
In its report on the story, the Manchester Evening News says:
The transfer to host the G20 in Manchester was reportedly arrange months in the past after Andy Burnham grew to become prime minister, utilizing his first cellphone name with Mr Trump to ask him to town, and which is claimed to have been accepted by the American President.
It is known that planning has already began for the large gathering, which would require the most important safety operation town has ever seen …
Work on internet hosting the summit in Manchester had begun earlier than Mr Burnham took workplace however the prime minister has been an enthusiastic cheerleader for town since coming into Downing Street, together with establishing the No 10 North operation within the metropolis centre.
UK to offer assist to Saudi jets in try and counter Houthi fighters
In his huddle on the airplane to the US, Andy Burnham additionally confirmed that the UK has agreed to supply defensive air assist to Saudi Arabia to assist counter Houthi fighters. He stated:
We have obtained a request from Saudi Arabia for army assist and … I agreed to that request for defensive air-to-air refuelling.
Presumably which means Burnham received’t be agreeing with the recent report from the Campaign Against Arms Trade and the Transition Security Project saying “Britain ought to pay reparations to the folks of Yemen for its position in crimes dedicated in opposition to them by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and their coalition allies in the course of the Yemeni civil warfare.” It says:
By our calculations, a windfall tax on income made by two main British arms corporations from weapons utilized by the Saudis in the course of the warfare might increase as much as £3.9bn. With the British state matching this sum, a reparations cost of £7.8bn would assist tackle the pressing humanitarian wants in Yemen – which British coverage has helped to create – and supply a basis for Yemen’s financial restoration.
Burnham performs down previous vital feedback about Trump, saying it is proper to ‘transfer past’ them
Speaking to journalists on his flight to New York, Andy Burnham performed down ideas that earlier vital issues he has stated about Donald Trump might trigger an issue after they meet later.
As with nearly everybody on the left of politics within the UK, Burnham has a longish report of claiming disobliging issues concerning the US president. In 2017, as mayor of Greater Manchester, Burnham said that as a “matter of precept” he wouldn’t meet Trump due to the “hateful, extremist materials” he posted on-line. After Trump backed his supporters who stormed the US Capitol on 6 January 2021 to attempt to overturn the presidential election consequence, Burnham said: “Any UK politician who gave Trump the time of day needs to be ashamed proper now.” Only final yr he accused Trump of bringing “instability to the international stage”.
Burnham didn’t apologise for any of those feedback, or retract them, however he informed reporters it was time to maneuver on. He additionally identified that Trump had been dismissive of him just lately, describing him as “the mayor of a city”.
Burnham stated:
Politicians say issues all through their profession, however now the vital factor is to give attention to the second you might be in, and I did say to the president in our first cellphone name, I stated Mr President, Manchester isn’t ‘some city’. I stated ‘that is Manchester’.
And so sure, the correct factor to do is to have amusing about it, isn’t it, and transfer past it.
Asked if he might belief Trump, Burnham stated:
When you come into this job, you realise how deep this relationship is. We belief our allies. Of course, we do.
Asked if he trusted Trump personally, Burnham replied: “Yes.”
(This is a kind of feedback greatest understood by making use of the Mandy Rice-Davies principle, fairly than taking it actually.)
Politico has a bit extra color on the huddle in today’s London Playbook.
Burnham’s first huddle with the Lobby pack on the federal government jet, the place he sat chatting for 38 minutes in denims, a go well with jacket and his blue Joseph’s Goal wristband. It was a extra discursive affair than underneath Starmer. The beginner PM was so upset that no hacks requested him to diss Danny Dyer — see here for the very sweary context— that he volunteered the road anyway. “I’m undecided I do know who he’s,” stated Burnham. “Is he the father-in-law of a West Ham participant?”
Burnham fails to rule out Brexit reversal being in subsequent Labour manifesto
Andy Burnham has opened the door to combating the subsequent election on the UK rejoining the EU, however stated his rapid precedence was continuing to rebuild bridges with European allies. Pippa Crerar has the story, which is predicated on what Burnham informed journalists as he spoke to them in what reporters name a “huddle” on his flight to New York.
UK not ‘on the slide’, Burnham to inform UN as he gears up for first assembly with Trump
Good morning. Andy Burnham is on the United Nations basic meeting as we speak and in a speech to the international stage (or, technically, to folks within the corridor and anybody watching on TV at round 2am UK time), he’ll say that Britain shouldn’t be “on the slide”.
Speaking to reporters on the airplane to New York, Burnham stated:
The plan for Britain is about ‘what’s our route over the subsequent 10 years and the way will we make life extra reasonably priced for folks’. That is my predominant precedence, that’s what persons are in search of.
I hear folks saying the nation is on the slide – we’re the quickest rising within the G7, there’s tons to be happy with, there’s rather a lot proper with the nation and I’m going to offer a extremely upbeat message after I converse.
But the story of the day will as an alternative give attention to Burnham’s assembly with somebody who does suppose the UK is “on the slide”, or not less than claims to suppose that. “Your nation’s in hassle. You’re on the sting of catastrophe,” Donald Trump told a GB News reporter just lately.
In her overnight story forward of the assembly, Pippa Crerar, who’s on the journey with Burnham, says Burnham goes to undertake a middle-of-the-road strategy to the US president after they meet. She says:
Government sources informed the Guardian that Burnham would attempt to pursue a “third means” in his relationship with the US president, neither as adversarial because the Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, nor as publicly fawning as [Keir] Starmer’s early strategy, and counting on the power of his persona.
This is a reference to Starmer providing Trump an unprecedented second state go to after they first met on the White House. Theresa May additionally discovered herself pimping the monarch at her first assembly with Trump. There have been good causes for each gives on the time, they usually purchased each beginner PMs some goodwill from the White House monster, nevertheless it didn’t final and each these encounters are actually recalled as moments of nationwide embarrassment. As lengthy as as we speak’s assembly is cordial, Burnham will in all probability be proud of one thing extra low-key.
It is tough to know what may be achieved in any assembly with Trump as a result of he’s so unpredicable. Later Burnham has one other assembly with a president which can get far much less protection, however might turn into extra consequential. The PM is assembly Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, for the primary time and, with the prospects of the EU-UK reset in jeopardy, there’s a lot to debate.
Here is the agenda for the day.
9am: The closing day of the Lib Dem convention in Brighton begins. The debates this morning will embody one on the Lib Dems’ water policy.
2.30pm: Ed Davey, the Lib Dem chief, provides his keynote speech on the convention.
Around 4.45pm (UK time): Andy Burnham is because of meet Donald Trump on the UN in New York.
Late afternoon/early night (UK time): Burnham has bilateral conferences with Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, and others.
Late night (UK time): Burnham co-chairs a gathering on the Middle East with different leaders together with Emmanuel Macron, the French president, and Mark Carney, the Canadian PM.
Around 1.50am (UK time): Burnham provides his speech to the UN earlier than flying again to the UK.
I’m afraid we’re no longer able to have comments open below the line every day on this blog. If you need to contact me, please e-mail [email protected]. You can use this e-mail to flag up corrections, feedback for publication, questions or complaints.
