Burnham seeks 'trusted partner' role for UK in EU's Made in Europe plan

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said his government will make the case for Britain to be treated as a "trusted partner" in the European Union's Made in Europe scheme, arguing that London is not the target of the bloc's push to reduce reliance on Chinese components.

Speaking to reporters on his flight to New York for his first United Nations General Assembly as prime minister, Burnham said he believed there was support for Britain's wish to gain access to the programme, which prioritises European-made goods.

"Europe's argument is not with us. We both suffer the same effects as other countries, particularly (in) steel," he said on Monday.

He added that Britain was not the problem the scheme was designed to address. "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."

Britain has contended that the EU plan could disrupt supply chains and erect unnecessary trade barriers between London and some member states. Burnham is keen to avoid missing out on another European initiative after talks to join the EU's SAFE defence fund broke down.

He has pledged to continue his predecessor's efforts to deepen ties with the EU, which improved under Keir Starmer following years of distrust triggered by Britain's vote to leave the bloc in 2016. Burnham said he wants to move further and faster, with his focus on a UK-EU summit that was postponed after Britain's change of leader in July and which he hopes will still be held this year.

"Lets work towards a trusted partner approach that doesn't cause a problem where there wasn't a problem and where we have common cause," he said.