May and Sturgeon on standby as Brexit talks remain deadlocked
● Further talks to fix ‘power grab’ fears could take place as early as next week
0 Scottish Brexit minister Michael Russell said it was likely that there will be discussion between the Prime Minister and the First Minister if a deal is to be reached Theresa May and Nicola Sturgeon are likely to be called in to break the deadlock between the UK and devolved governments over a Brexit “power grab” after talks failed to produce an agreement.
At a summit in London led by Brexit Secretary David Davis and Cabinet Office minister David Lidington, ministers from Scotland and Wales rejected a proposed amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill, saying it does not go far enough to protect devolution.
Scottish Brexit minister Michael Russell said more work was needed, and said it was “likely that there will require to be that discussion” between the Prime Minister and the First Minister if a deal is to be reached.
Both sides agreed to hold another face-to-face meeting before the deadline for the UK government to amend the Withdrawal Bill in mid- March. Another summit could take place as next week.
Welsh Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford said both sides had “run out of the process where just officials talk away”, adding: “We now need politicians to get round the table.”
The Scottish and Welsh governments have said they will reject legislative consent for the bill, which would ensure legal continuity for thousands of EU regulations after Brexit.
Mr Russell said after the meeting: “I have no idea how close we are to an agreement, because that will depend on how the UK government thinks about and takes forward the points that have been made by Wales and Scotland today
“The very clear point is that neither Wales nor Scotland can go or will go to their parliaments and recommend the diminution of devolved powers. That will not happen. There will be no legislative consent if that continues.”
Scottish Secretary David Mundell said he was confident a deal would be reached in time. He said: “I think the UK government has demonstrated by bringing forward the draft of an amendment that we are showing flexibility, and are addressing the concerns that both the Scottish government and Scottish Parliament have raised.”
Confirming that another summit would be held within the next three weeks, the Scottish Secretary added: “I hope that the meeting can conclude with the sort of agreement that we’re looking for, so that when we lodge our amendment in the House of Lords it can have the agreement of both the Scottish and Welsh governments.”
Mr Russell confirmed that a Continuity Bill, which will assert the Scottish Parliament’s authority over 111 powers in devolved areas being repatriated from Brussels, would be introduced before the end of February.