Andy Burnham to push ahead with 'Brexit reset' EU youth mobility scheme before Christmas

Andy Burnham will today tell the head of the European Union that he wants to move forward with a mobility scheme for young people at a summit before Christmas.

The Prime Minister is due to meet with EU President Ursula von der Leyen at the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.

Mr Burnham said that his "focus at the moment is on a UK/EU summit which we hope will take place later this year".

The summit had been postponed since the summer because of the resignation of Mr Burnham's predecessor Sir Keir Starmer.

He told reporters en route to the US: "My immediate priority is to build on the good work that Keir did in rebuilding bridges.

"Because those bridges were broken in the early part of this decade.

"And Keir did a good job in re-establishing that relationship."

The two sides are trying to hammer out a deal to agree limited freedom of movement for young adults aged 18 to 30.

He said that this remained a priority for the UK.

He said: "What we have got to do is now go to the to the next level in terms of reaching practical agreement that will further boost the British economy.

"And those issues are the substance of the summit alongside EU requests around youth mobility."

Mr Burnham also said there were worries in London about a "Made in Europe" initiative which will see EU states favouring their own domestic industries.

He said: "We do have concerns about Made in Europe, which is something that could affect British industry and British supply chains.

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"I will meet the President of the European Commission tomorrow and I will, in a constructive spirit put on the table some of our concerns towards those things."

Earlier this year, the British Chambers of Commerce warned that UK factories risk being cut out of EU supply chains under Brussels' “Made in Europe” plan.

The EU has been pushing for new quotas on the use of domestic components in products such as cars, which would end the bloc’s traditional reliance on China and the US.

Just days ago, it emerged that the initiative risked derailing Labour's Brexit "reset" talks altogether.

The UK fears the laws could leave billions of pounds worth of trade in peril if British goods are not marked as European.

That could lock Britain out of key contracts on the continent.

France, behind the Made in Europe laws, wants them passed by the end of the year, worsening fears that British manufacturing could be left behind.

While the French are thought to be sympathetic to the UK's position, they want the laws passed now in the face of increasing competition from China.

The EU would make allowances for third countries later - a process which could take years.