The White House has raised serious concerns that new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s decision to appoint Ed Miliband as Foreign Secretary—a position equivalent to the U.S. Secretary of State—could strain the critical British-American “special relationship.”
A senior administration official recently signaled to British media that Miliband’s elevation would be labeled a “point of friction,” particularly due to his promotion of climate ideology and history of criticizing American leadership.
In a key statement, Stephen K. Bannon, host of the War Room podcast, described how the Trump administration took “the extraordinary step” of warning Burnham that appointing Miliband—a self-described socialist nicknamed “Red Ed”—would be “very injurious to the ‘special relationship.’” Bannon noted that Burnham ignored these warnings and proceeded with the appointment.
Miliband, a former leader of Burnham’s Labour Party, is known for his fanatical support of net zero goals. He previously criticized President Donald J. Trump in 2017, stating that the America First leader “lowered the bar for idiocy,” and participated in a Stop Trump March in London under Mayor Sadiq Khan.
The appointment follows Burnham’s cabinet reshuffle, which saw the firing of anti-Trump Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy and Attorney General Richard Hermer. Hermer had spearheaded efforts to surrender British islands housing strategic U.S. military bases to Chinese allies. Miliband has also opposed U.S. military operations from British territories in the Middle East and attacked American climate policies.
In 2016, Miliband told the BBC: “The idea that we have shared values with a racist, misogynistic self-confessed groper beggars belief.” He further stated at the time he would work to “resist the worst of Trumpism.”
With the United States and Britain each other’s largest economic partners and key members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, questions remain about Miliband’s capacity to manage relations with the U.S. effectively.
