Burnham to Press von der Leyen on Made In Europe and UK Access
Andy Burnham warned of "collateral damage" to British manufacturing from the EU's Made In Europe rules before talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in New York.
The meeting is expected on Tuesday, 22 September, on the margins of the UN's annual summit. Mr Burnham said he would raise his concerns directly with Ms von der Leyen. The Financial Times reported he will use the meeting to press for UK participation in the scheme.
Made In Europe is the political shorthand for the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA). The Act is yet to be finalised. As drafted, it would give manufacturers inside the bloc priority for public contracts and subsidies. Public contracts mean government buying. Subsidies mean state financial support. The stated aim is to curb the presence of Chinese companies in the EU. Think of it as home advantage when firms bid for state work. The BBC reported the proposals as the trigger for the intervention.
Ministers said the plan could harm British manufacturing. Mr Burnham said it could affect British industry and supply chains. Britain's minister for EU relations had earlier said it could create unnecessary trade barriers between London and some EU member countries, according to Reuters.
The UK request is not to be excluded. Chancellor John Healey will urge his EU counterparts not to shut the UK out of the policy, Reuters reported on 18 September.
Tensions over the policy have reportedly further delayed this year's planned EU-UK summit. The summit had already been postponed after Sir Keir Starmer's resignation as prime minister in July.
Mr Burnham said the EU had made clear associate membership was not open to the UK. Associate membership would mean a formal link without full membership. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomed a proposal for Canada to become an associate member of the EU on 17 September, according to Reuters.
Mr Burnham declined to rule out committing to rejoining the EU in Labour's next manifesto. He said it was an issue "for another day". He said his immediate priority was to rebuild the relationship with the EU and reach practical agreement to boost the British economy.
The Conservatives criticised the reset. The party said a future Tory government would build a wholly independent regulatory system, according to The Guardian.
The broader context here is familiar from procurement talks in Brussels. The Commission has yet to lock down scope, thresholds or enforcement. London wants carve-ins before that text hardens. Brussels will weigh single market integrity against supply-chain interdependence.
For Whitehall watchers, the calculation is narrow. Public procurement and subsidy design bite quickly on aerospace, defence, automotive and clean tech. Even temporary exclusion can reroute sourcing decisions. New York is a chance to test whether participation is a legal possibility or a political non-starter, before the delayed summit forces both sides to show their hand.
