Mundell pledges to revise ‘power grab’ legislation before it leaves Commons

The government has pledged to amend Brexit legislation labelled a “power grab” by critics before it leaves the House of Commons.

Facing pressure from opposition parties over the failure to agree any amendments to Clause 11 of the EU (Withdrawal) Bill, Scottish Secretary David Mundell said the government would put forward its own changes in the new year.

The bill currently sets out how 111 powers in devolved areas held in Brussels will be retained at Westminster after Brexit.

Ministers have pledged that many of these will be quickly passed on to devolved administrations after the UK leaves the EU. However, MPS of all parties, including the Scottish Conservatives, have demanded assurances about how Scottish ministers will have an input on decision-making over powers that are retained at Westminster.

Mr Mundell said yesterday: “The Bill is going to be amended not at the behest of the Labour Party’s incoherent approach or the Scottish National Party’s nationalist approach, but because Scottish Conservatives have tabled practical amendments.”

He had come under attack over the government’s approach, with his Labour opposite number Lesley Laird claiming Scottish Tory MPS had been “herded through the Lobbies and told to trample all over the devolution settlement” when amendments were rejected on Monday. The SNP’S David Linden claimed the 12 backbench Scottish Tories “are actually just lobby fodder for the government”.

The Scottish Secretary said the government would unveil its changes at the report stage, expected in the new year.