WHITE HOUSE CONCERNED OVER MILIBAND – Officials reportedly uneasy about Miliband becoming foreign secretary in government post

The White House is concerned about Andy Burnham’s decision to appoint Ed Miliband as Foreign Secretary.

Mr Miliband – who had been tipped to be the next chancellor – was given the role on Monday as Mr Burnham made sweeping changes to his Cabinet.

Following the announcement, Mr Miliband promised to deepen ties with the EU before speaking about Britain’s “essential alliance with the United States”.

Donald Trump’s team previously warned that they would find it difficult to work with him.

A senior Trump administration official said that Mr Miliband would be a “point of friction” in the transatlantic relationship because of his support for green energy projects that Mr Trump had criticised.

It is understood that the US government’s warning came in unofficial “access” talks between the Trump administration and Mr Burnham’s team after it became clear that he was the front-runner to replace Sir Keir Starmer.

Mr Miliband’s previous positions have often stood in stark contrast to the views of the White House.

In February, he led the opposition on the National Security Council to the use of UK bases for US bombers. The decision proved to be the downfall of Sir Keir’s relationship with the president, who described him as “not Winston Churchill”.