UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham will urge European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday to grant Britain a role in the EU's new "Made in Europe" industrial policy, stating firmly, "We are not your rivals here." The initiative is designed to shield European manufacturing from competitive pressure exerted by businesses based outside the bloc.

Speaking ahead of his meeting with von der Leyen in New York, Burnham warned that Britain could suffer "collateral damage" as a result of the policy. He added that while von der Leyen had floated the idea of Canada potentially receiving associate EU membership, that particular option would not be available to the UK, noting, "The EU has made it clear that status will not be opened to us." The associate membership mechanism has yet to be implemented, with several EU national capitals expressing reservations about the proposed arrangement for Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Burnham's latest remarks on "Made in Europe" represent his strongest signal yet that the UK-EU summit scheduled for later this year must address British concerns that the proposed EU industrial policy could damage the country's industrial base. The summit, originally set for July, has already been postponed amid escalating tensions between the two sides. Burnham will hold his first face-to-face meeting with von der Leyen on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

"Our position has won support from a number of EU member states because Europe's real competitors are not us," Burnham told reporters en route to New York. "Our view is that we are not your enemy, we are not the source of the problem. 'Made in Europe' targets a different issue. What we advocate is avoiding collateral damage." The Prime Minister pointed out that UK-EU supply chains are deeply interconnected, and the policy risks disrupting existing networks. "We should build a relationship of mutual trust, avoid creating frictions where none exist, and collaborate in areas of shared interest," he said.

Media reports last month revealed that Burnham's predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer, had been prepared to issue visas to up to 100,000 young EU citizens annually and allow them to pay domestic-level university tuition fees as part of a package deal in exchange for EU inclusion of Britain in the "Made in Europe" framework. The policy aims to favor European-made goods in EU subsidy programs and public procurement. Although its original purpose is to defend against competition from outside the bloc, Britain could still be caught in the crossfire.

Burnham suggested that the 2016 Brexit referendum had created a period of "turmoil," and hinted that "external forces" — likely referring to Russia — were attempting to manipulate British public opinion toward the EU. "We need to be more aware of which hostile foreign actors are manipulating public sentiment and social mood to serve their own interests, rather than ours," he said. Burnham added, "Our current focus is on securing a UK-EU summit later this year. We need to move into a new phase now, reaching pragmatic agreements that further boost the British economy. These issues, along with the EU's proposals on youth mobility, will be central to the summit discussions."