Burnham warns new EU industrial rules will harm Britain

UK regional government leader Andy Burnham, ahead of a meeting in New York with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, has warned that the EU's "Made in Europe" initiative (Industrial Accelerator Act), designed to protect local producers from Chinese competition, would cause serious damage to British industry and supply chains. Speaking during his New York trip, the government leader said the proposal to give preference to bloc-based companies in state procurement should not indirectly harm the British economy or damage close trade ties between the two sides.

"Postxronika.az" reports, citing the BBC, that the EU-UK summit has been further delayed due to disagreements around the proposed program and the resignation of former Prime Minister Keir Starmer. While representatives of the bloc's auto industry want the Kingdom included in the program to prevent violations, Burnham said Europe's real problem is not Britain, and that both sides, particularly in the steel sector, face the same external pressures.

While not entirely ruling out the possibility that the Labour Party might rejoin the EU in the future, the government leader said his main priority is to restore relations and reach a new agreement that would strengthen the economy. At the same time, he is expected to stress at the UN the importance of fighting more actively against external forces' attempts to interfere in the country's democratic processes

Rəşad Hüseynov