A cabinet minister in Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s government has publicly stated that the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran may create economic headwinds for the UK’s upcoming budget. The minister’s comments come as the UK government prepares for a high-stakes meeting between Prime Minister Burnham and President Donald Trump at the upcoming UN General Assembly summit in New York.

This meeting is particularly notable given the history of public friction between the two leaders. During his tenure as the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Burnham was a vocal critic of the US President, famously stating that Trump would not be welcome in the city and criticizing UK politicians who sought to build ties with his administration. Despite this history, the cabinet minister expressed confidence that these past remarks would not hinder diplomatic efforts or negatively impact the relationship between the two nations. The two leaders have already held two phone conversations since Burnham assumed the role of Prime Minister.

While the minister highlighted the potential for economic disruption, the specific mechanisms through which a conflict with Iran would impact the UK budget were not detailed in the report. The upcoming summit is expected to be a test of whether the two leaders can move past previous political disagreements to address shared international concerns.