Image source, Reuters By Kate Whannel , Chris Mason and Isabella Allen Published 22 September 2026, 12:24 BST Updated 3 hours ago Andy Burnham has warned that planned EU rules to help European manufacturers would damage the UK, ahead of a meeting later with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The proposals aim to protect EU industry from Chinese competitors by giving companies inside the bloc priority for public contracts and subsidies. The prime minister said he was concerned about how British industry and supply chains could be affected, and would raise the subject with von der Leyen when he meets her during a UN summit in New York. Speaking on the flight to the US, Burnham also declined to rule out committing to rejoining the EU in Labour's next manifesto, saying it was an issue "for another day". He said his immediate priority was to rebuild the relationship with the EU and reach an agreement that would boost the British economy. The Made In Europe scheme - formally called the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) - is yet to be finalised, but the EU's car industry has called for the UK to be included to prevent disruption to its supply chains. Tensions over the proposed scheme have reportedly further delayed this year's planned EU-UK summit, which had already been postponed in the wake of Sir Keir Starmer's resignation as prime minister in July. Burnham said: "We have considerable support among the member states for the position we are taking, because Europe's argument is not with us. "We both suffer the same effects as other countries, particularly steel and the issue it raises for the steel industry in Europe and in Britain. "We are making the argument 'we are not your enemies here we are not the problem'. Made in Europe is dealing with a different problem. "We are making the argument that 'let's avoid collateral damage'." Burnham expects to find 'common ground' with Trump in first meeting Published 10 hours ago Watch: What to expect from the UN General Assembly Published 12 hours ago Ten years on, Brexit's economic impact is becoming clearer Published 14 September Burnham told reporters his own speech to the UN General Assembly later would reflect on the decade since the Brexit vote and the "turbulence comes when outside actors seek to manipulate, to distort facts, influence the British democratic process". "Going into the next decade, we need to be clear-eyed about that and become stronger and more on the front foot about challenging that," he said. Asked if he would rule out making a pledge to rejoin the EU at the next general election, Burnham said: "Our focus at the moment is on a UK-EU summit which we hope will take place later this year. "My immediate priority is to build on the good work that Keir [Starmer] did in rebuilding bridges, because those bridges were broken in the early part of this decade." He added: "What we have got to do is now...
🔥 EXCLUSIVE PARTNER OFFER
Blackview FORT 1, 6 Go + 256 Go, écran 6,56 pouces, Android 15, processeur Unisoc UMS9230E T615 Octa Core, réseau : 4G, OTG, NFC (vert)
90.49
🎁 Special promotion! Perfect gift idea at an unbeatable price. Shop now!
Affiliate link — Commission earned at no extra cost to you
© EcoNews DZ — Global Economic & Financial News
Comments
Post a Comment