David Lammy gave Andy Burnham the phone number of a fraudster impersonating Donald Trump’s chief of staff, insiders have claimed.
The former Foreign Secretary was accused of trying to win the Prime Minister’s favour after he was booted out of the Cabinet last month.
Mr Burnham, who believed Mr Lammy gave his Susie Wiles’s phone number, ended up sending several messages in a major security gaffe.
“David Lammy thought he was currying favour with the new PM by getting them the phone number of one of the most powerful people in Washington,” an insider told The Sun on Sunday.
“But it turned out to be the wrong one and the whole thing has turned into a massive headache for the PM. It is a serious embarrassment for David.”
Mr Lammy, who served as Foreign Secretary from July 2024 to September 2025, built a somewhat surprisingly strong relationship with leading Republicans in Washington.
The Tottenham MP previously described the 47th US President as a “racist KKK and Nazi sympathiser”, later adding: “Donald Trump is no friend of Britain.”
However, his relationship with Vice President JD Vance soon helped bolster his position with the White House.
Andy Burnham dismissed the suggestion he should be embarrassed about the blunder
|
GETTY
Mr Lammy was photographed enjoying a fishing trip with Mr Vance at his grace-and-favour Chevening home in August 2025.
However, the ex-Foreign Secretary ended up landing himself in hot water after it emerged he did not have a rod licence to go fishing with the Vice President.
Mr Lammy blamed the oversight on an “administrative error” and avoided having to pay a £2,500 fine.
But Mr Burnham is now looking to build a strong relationship with Mr Trump.
GETTY
Despite saying he would not meet Mr Trump while serving as Greater Manchester Mayor in 2017, Mr Burnham held a positive phone call with the US President after entering No10.
“I think we’re going to have a very good relationship,” Mr Trump said earlier this month.
“We’ll see. I’m not going to tell him how to run his country.”
However, Mr Trump did suggest Mr Burnham should open up the North Sea and get a grip on illegal migration
Susie Wiles is one of President Trump’s closest allies | GETTY
Mr Burnham’s White House text message blunder has also prompted concerns about potential Russian involvement.
Security sources have suggested Vladimir Putin’s Centre 16, which operates within the Kremlin’s secretive Federal Security Service, could be behind the mishap.
Professor Anthony Glees, a highly regarded intelligence and security expert at the University of Buckingham, also suggested Tehran or Moscow was likely involved in the incident.
Ms Wiles was previously targeted by a cyber espionage unit associated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in 2024.
Andy Burnham has not yet met with President Trump | PA
However, Mr Burnham continues to insist he did nothing wrong and dismissed the suggestion he should be embarrassed.
Speaking during a visit to the West Midlands, the Prime Minister said: “No, I’m not. There was a minimal exchange.
“Nothing of consequence, and actually, quickly, I realised that this needed to be reported. And I did so. I handled it in the right way… I did everything right.
“There was a minimal exchange of information of zero consequence, and it was quickly reported.
Mr Lammy’s allies said it would not be appropriate to comment on matters relating to national security.