Andy Burnham, the UK Prime Minister, has urged former President Donald Trump to "resolve" the war in Iran, suggesting that recent US midterm election results offer an opportunity to focus on global cost of living issues. Burnham stated that Americans voted in the midterms with a focus on economic concerns, and that resolving international conflicts is key to addressing these pressures.
"I can't get people's cost of living pressures down until the conflict in the Middle East is resolved, the conflict in Ukraine started by Russia... these are the things we have to focus on now," Burnham said at the Commonwealth summit in Antigua. He expressed hope that the world would unite around this issue, a sentiment he plans to convey to other leaders.
Burnham's comments come after Republicans faced significant losses in the US midterm elections, losing control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. He characterized these results as a mandate from voters to prioritize economic issues.
"I think people want to see the world coming together and focusing on the things that matter to people. That's what the voters in my view were saying in the US," Burnham explained. He added that countries cannot effectively address cost of living concerns when there is division between nations.
When pressed about potential escalation following the midterms, Burnham stated he would work towards de-escalation and the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. He also commented on broader political trends, suggesting that recent electoral outcomes, such as Lula's victory in Brazil and Orban's defeat in Hungary, indicate a potential decline for the populist right, as voters increasingly seek global unity and focus on practical economic matters.