Prime minister wants ‘Council of the Isles’ to help unite nation

Boris Johnson has been urged to appoint a “constitutional affairs” minister, move parts of Whitehall to the devolved nations and reform the system used for holding inter-governmental meetings.

The prime minister, who proclaimed himself “minister for the union” upon taking office, has been advised to appoint a “senior Cabinet minister” to oversee the “operational arm” of fournation relations.

Whitehall policymakers should also “as a matter of urgency” be decamped from London to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to ensure “policy takes into account the differences within the country”.

The recommendations are just some of the 40 contained in the Dunlop Review, which has been lying on the prime minister’s desk for more than a year.

The review, which was set up by Theresa May in July 2019, was tasked with investigating how the union could be strengthened after MPs concluded relations had “broken down” between the UK and Scottish governments.

Lord Dunlop said his proposals are “intended to build trust and respect between the institutions of government in the UK.”

He added: “The UK Government is the government of the whole UK and, if the relationship between the UK Government and devolved governments is to be fully mature, its role in all parts of the UK must be visible and transparent.

“If the UK Government’s activities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are not recognised publicly, democratic accountability will be lost.

“It is recommended, therefore, that spending by the UK Government in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland should be clearly marked with UK Government branding.”

The peer also called for a bi-annual “summit” to be held between the prime minister and leaders of the devolved nations.

Mr Johnson, addressing the liaison committee yesterday, said: “I’m very much in favour of the Council of the Isles, for instance, where we come together, represented across the whole of the British Isles, to talk about issues that matter to us.

“On the other hand, I don’t think we want to turn our deliberations into a kind of mini-EU.

“Obviously I need a good relationship with everybody and I’ve talked many times to Nicola (Sturgeon), Mark (Drakeford), Michelle (O’Neill) and Arlene (Foster) and continue to do so – that’s the way it should be.

“We should come together to talk about issues that matter to us

Prime Minister Boris Johnson laid out his plans.