First Minister warned: Don’t undermine deal on Brexit
UNDERMINING a key Brexit Bill could damage Britain’s chances of retaining access to the European single market, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was warned yesterday.
Brexit Minister Robin Walker plans to hold crunch talks with the SNP administration during a visit to Scotland early next month.
He is expected to spell out that a refusal by the Scottish parliament to give its consent to the Repeal Bill – the formal mechanism for transferring thousands of existing EU regulations into British laws – will damage the prospect of a good Brexit deal, including keeping access to the single market.
UK ministers are also expected to begin negotiations with the SNP about which extra powers from Brussels could be handed to Holyrood after Britain leaves the EU.
Because the Repeal Bill impacts on devolved powers, the Scottish parliament will vote on a legislative consent motion (LCM) before MPs consider the legislation at Westminster.
But the First Minister has warned that she will encourage MSPs to refuse the LCM unless major changes are made.
Yesterday, a UK Government minister said: ‘We are clear that, because this legislation touches on devolved issues, we will seek LCMs.
‘But the consequences of this legislation not being (put) through would be a broken statute book in the UK and in each of the devolved administrations. We don’t think that’s in anyone’s interests... legislative consent makes sense from the devolved administration’s perspective as well as the UK perspective.
‘Let’s be clear, there are areas of huge common ground here. They (the Scottish Government) have been very clear that
‘Huge common ground’
they believe access to the single market is crucial.
‘Access to the single market would need to be underpinned by agreement on regulatory equivalence – and that is something that can only be achieved through passing this piece of legislation. So actually to withhold support for it, to reject this piece of legislation, would undermine the case for getting access to the market.
‘It is not in any devolved administration’s interests.’
When he visits Scotland next month, Mr Walker – who has been asked to lead on all devolution aspects of leaving the EU – is expected to meet SNP ministers and industry leaders.
The UK Government wants to make clear that failure to give their consent to the Bill would result in MSPs being viewed as highly irresponsible by the public.
When the Repeal Bill was published last week, Miss Sturgeon ganged up with UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones to threaten to vote against the ‘naked power grab’.
Yesterday, Scotland Office Minister Ian Duncan said he wanted to discuss safeguards for EU migrants, branding them ‘the lifeblood of parts of our economy’.
A Scottish Government source said: ‘It is the Tory Government, with its chaotic infighting and reckless plans for a disastrous, extreme Brexit, which is threatening Scotland’s place in the single market – but we have made clear we will not consent to Westminster using Brexit as cover for a power grab.’