Post-Brexit plan to give Scotland a ‘power surge’

SCOTLAND is set for a ‘power surge’ under Boris Johnson’s plans for the internal UK market after Brexit.

The UK Government will today publish its plans for the UK Internal Market Bill – with the SNP set to reject the proposals over claims it is an ‘assault on devolution we have not experienced since the Scottish parliament was established’.

It will set out how powers in at least 70

‘Decisions will now be made in the UK’

policy areas will return to the UK from January 2021 following Brexit.

UK ministers insist the return of these powers will boost the strength of all of the devolved national governments by giving them more power over more issues than they had before, without removing any of those they currently hold.

Areas affected include regulations for energy efficiency of buildings, air quality and animal welfare.

And yesterday Michael Gove insisted that the move will see a ‘power surge’ for Scotland. Ahead of the publication, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster said: ‘Holyrood, Stormont and Cardiff Bay will soon have more powers than ever before and there will be no change to the powers the devolved administrations already have.

‘This Bill will also give the UK Government new spending powers to drive our economic recovery from Covid-19 and support businesses and communities right across the UK.

‘No longer will unelected EU bodies be spending our money on our behalf. These new spending powers will mean these decisions will now be made in the UK.’

Where powers return from the EU on January 1 next year, all parts of the United Kingdom will begin from the same regulatory position in order to provide certainty to businesses in their ability to continue trading unhindered as this begins to change.

SNP ministers are likely to claim this is restricting their power – but the UK Government will argue that it is simply trying to safely transfer powers from the EU to the UK without impacting on firms.

Constitution Secretary Mike Russell insisted the Scottish Government could not recommend consent to the Bill. It will require a legislative consent motion at Holyrood but Mr Russell will direct MSPs to reject this.

He said: ‘We cannot, and will not, allow this to happen.’