Burnham meets Norway's Støre in Liverpool to deepen Lunna House defence pact

Andy Burnham met Norway’s prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre in Liverpool on Sunday, using talks during the Labour Party conference to deepen the two countries’ Lunna House strategic defence agreement.

Downing Street said both leaders raised the pact and how “the long term partnership would benefit both countries through good jobs and unparalleled defence cooperation in the North Atlantic”, and agreed Norway and the UK were key partners in tackling Russian hybrid aggression, particularly in the maritime domain, through NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force.

Støre, the international guest speaker at the Labour gathering in Liverpool, told the conference that the biggest defence purchase in Norway’s history would be frigates bought from the United Kingdom. “It’s an integration of our naval forces,” he said. “And as a former naval officer, I am proud to see that happen because I think it will be a real backbone for our own security.”

The two leaders also reflected on their visits to the UN General Assembly. Burnham said the UK would use its G20 presidency to bring countries together and “drive forward the discussion on how to harness artificial intelligence for good”. Both welcomed the agreement between Denmark, Greenland and the United States signed at UNGA, and the security it brought to the High North.