Burnham readies for first Trump meeting after ‘some town’ jab

The UK will host the 2027 G20 leaders’ summit at Manchester Central Convention Centre on 27 and 28 November 2027, Prime Minister Andy Burnham confirmed on Monday — a decision first taken earlier this year while Burnham was still mayor of Greater Manchester.

Burnham said he was “really pleased” that US President Donald Trump would be among the world leaders travelling to Manchester for the event. Downing Street said preparations will now intensify, with hundreds of local people expected to be involved in delivering what the government described as the largest summit ever held in the city. Manchester Central has previously hosted rock concerts and political party conferences.

The announcement comes as Burnham prepares for his first meeting with Trump, set for Tuesday in New York. The relationship carries an awkward opening. In June, before it became clear that Burnham would become prime minister, Trump publicly called him “the mayor of a town.” Burnham told reporters that in his first phone call with Trump after his elevation, he pushed back on the president’s earlier characterization of Manchester. He said the “right thing to do” was to laugh about it and “move beyond it.”

The remarks mark a clear shift from Burnham’s posture as mayor, when he told the Manchester Evening News that he “wouldn’t welcome” a visit from the American president. On his way to New York, Burnham acknowledged the change. “Politicians say things throughout their career,” he said, “but now the important thing is to focus on the moment you are in.”

Councillor Garry Bridges, the new leader of Manchester City Council, said an event of this scale would have been “unthinkable a couple of years ago” and that he hoped it would change Trump’s perception of Manchester.

The UK is assuming the G20 presidency from the United States, which is hosting this year’s summit in Miami in December. Events will take place across the country during the UK presidency year. The UK has hosted the G20 once before, in 2009 in London, when the security operation was estimated to have cost £7.2m.

The G20 brings together 19 of the world’s largest economies, plus representatives from the European Union and the African Union. It represents about two-thirds of the world’s population and more than 85% of its wealth. The annual gathering was first established in 1999 to promote financial stability and cooperation.