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| Scottish and Welsh leaders call repeal bill a 'naked power grab' | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Theresa May is facing a fresh constitutional clash with the Scottish government after Nicola Sturgeon threatened to block the “repeal bill”, dismissing it as a “naked power grab”. | |
| The European Union (withdrawal) bill requires the consent of the Scottish parliament and the Welsh assembly, but Scotland’s first minister and her counterpart in Wales, Carwyn Jones, issued a joint statement saying they could not recommend the bill as it stands to their respective legislatures. | |
| Sturgeon has been careful to avoid describing the consent of the Scottish parliament as a veto. There is a potentially thorny issue as to whether Westminster could override the Scottish parliament. | Sturgeon has been careful to avoid describing the consent of the Scottish parliament as a veto. There is a potentially thorny issue as to whether Westminster could override the Scottish parliament. |
| The Scotland secretary, David Mundell, said Holyrood’s approval through a legislative consent motion would be required for the bill, adding: “I am optimistic we will obtain the consent.” He suggested that the impasse would be resolved through negotiation with Sturgeon. | |
| The Scottish National party leader is digesting her party’s losses in the general election last month. She may decide it is not in its interest to block the bill, instead opting to use the leverage to negotiate the transfer of as many powers as possible from Brussels to Scotland, rather than Westminster. | The Scottish National party leader is digesting her party’s losses in the general election last month. She may decide it is not in its interest to block the bill, instead opting to use the leverage to negotiate the transfer of as many powers as possible from Brussels to Scotland, rather than Westminster. |
| Mundell denied that the transfer was a power grab by Westminster and insisted that it would turn out to be a “power bonanza” for Scotland. Sturgeon would find it difficult to block a bill that would transfer powers from Brussels to Edinburgh, he added, but declined to specify which powers these may be, other than some relating to hill farming. | Mundell denied that the transfer was a power grab by Westminster and insisted that it would turn out to be a “power bonanza” for Scotland. Sturgeon would find it difficult to block a bill that would transfer powers from Brussels to Edinburgh, he added, but declined to specify which powers these may be, other than some relating to hill farming. |
| During the journalists’ briefing, Mundell spoke vaguely about environmental and energy issues, avoiding contentious topics such as fishing rights. | During the journalists’ briefing, Mundell spoke vaguely about environmental and energy issues, avoiding contentious topics such as fishing rights. |
| “Needless to say, there will be a process row with the Scottish government because the Scottish government does process row, that is their speciality,” he said, adding that previous standoffs had been resolved. | |
| In their joint statement, Sturgeon and Jones said: “We have repeatedly tried to engage with the UK government on these matters and have put forward constructive proposals about how we can deliver an outcome which will protect the interests of all the nations in the UK, safeguard our economies and respect devolution. | In their joint statement, Sturgeon and Jones said: “We have repeatedly tried to engage with the UK government on these matters and have put forward constructive proposals about how we can deliver an outcome which will protect the interests of all the nations in the UK, safeguard our economies and respect devolution. |
| “Regrettably, the bill does not do this. Instead, it is a naked power grab, an attack on the founding principles of devolution and could destabilise our economies. The European Union (withdrawal) bill does not return powers from the EU to the devolved administrations as promised. | “Regrettably, the bill does not do this. Instead, it is a naked power grab, an attack on the founding principles of devolution and could destabilise our economies. The European Union (withdrawal) bill does not return powers from the EU to the devolved administrations as promised. |
| “It returns them solely to the UK government and parliament, and imposes new restrictions on the Scottish parliament and national assembly for Wales. On that basis, the Scottish and Welsh governments cannot recommend that legislative consent is given to the bill as it currently stands.” | |
| The SNP tabled an amendment to the bill opposing a second reading on the grounds that it contains no commitment to transfer powers to the devolved governments, fails to provide a unilateral guarantee of rights for EU nationals in the UK and is not accompanied by any economic analysis by the UK government of the full implications of withdrawal from the single market. | |
| Ian Blackford, the SNP leader at Westminster, said: “Until the UK government meaningfully engages with the devolved administrations and publishes a detailed economic analysis of the impact that leaving the single market or a no-deal scenario will have, then the SNP has no choice but to oppose a second reading of the bill in order to get answers from a government that has sought to evade scrutiny at every opportunity.” |