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Ed Miliband becoming Foreign Secretary has caused concerns with Britain’s closest international ally, the United States, it has been reported. New Prime Minister Andy Burnham appointed the former Net Zero boss to the top posting yesterday, as Mr Burnham carried out a purge of Starmer allies on his first day in office.

But now it has been reported that the appointment has triggered fears in the White House, with insiders warning Mr Miliband could be a “point of friction” between the two countries. Mr Miliband has never hidden his feelings about US President Donald Trump, and the latest spat comes amid mounting disagreements between London and Washington.

A source in the White House told the Daily Telegraph that they were “deeply concerned” about the ascension of Mr Miliband to the role.

The appointment came despite private warnings from the US that Mr Trump’s team would find it difficult to work with Mr Miliband, who is a strong supporter of net zero.

A senior official in the Trump administration said the former net zero chief’s support for “green” energy projects was the cause of their concerns.

It has been reported that these fears came in unofficial “access” talks between the President’s administration and Mr Burnham’s team.

Mr Miliband has often come to blows with the White House, leading opposition to the use of British bases for the US bombing of Iran.

That decision led the President to brand Sir Keir Starmer as “not Winston Churchill”, in a public snub.

Mr Miliband’s reluctance to allow drilling in the North Sea has also been criticised. In 2023, Mr Miliband criticised then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for rolling back climate targets, saying: “A Trump-style climate culture war is not what the British people want.”

He even told the BBC’s World At One: “The idea that we have shared values with a racist, misogynistic self-confessed groper beggars belief.”