Wales offered powers deal to back Brexit Bill
THE UK Government will make a new push today to quell Welsh and Scottish opposition to its flagship Brexit legislation with the promise that the “vast majority” of powers in devolved areas held by Brussels will go straight to the Assembly and the Scottish Parliament.
Some of the most senior figures in the UK Government will sit down with representatives of the devolved governments in the latest bid to stop AMs and MSPs refusing to grant consent to the EU Withdrawal Bill.
Brexit Secretary David Davis and the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, David Lidington, will meet with Welsh Government Finance Minister Mark Drakeford.
Meanwhile, former Plaid Cymru leader Dafydd Wigley has urged politicians of different parties to unite as the Brexit legislation begins its journey through the Lords in an attempt to stop the UK leaving the single market and the customs union.
He said: “It is our duty as politicians to defend our citizens’ interests and the way to do that is to force the Government into protecting our trading relationship and staying in the customs union and the single market.”
The Welsh Government has described the EU Withdrawal Bill as a
“naked power-grab” and insisted that arrangements for how trade will flow between the different nations of the UK after Brexit must be negotiated and not imposed by Whitehall.
However, the UK Government says it needs the “ability to protect the internal UK market” in a “small number of areas”.
It says that ahead of today’s talks it has shared the proposed changes to the legislation with the devolved administrations and put a “considerable offer” on the table.
But Scottish Brexit Minister Michael Russell said: “We need to see further progress on safeguarding devolution. We are not opposed to UK-wide frameworks, when they are in Scotland’s interest, but devolved powers can only be changed with the agreement of the Scottish Parliament. Failing that commitment from the UK Government, we will be unable to recommend consent to this legislation.”
The Welsh Government was unimpressed by the UK Government’s approach to today’s meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC).
A spokeswoman said: “Negotiation by press release is not a sensible way of approaching such a deeply sensitive and important issue. We will go to the JMC meeting intent on protecting the devolution settlement and engaging in meaningful talks, despite the unhelpful approach of the UK Government.”
The UK Government’s Mr Lidington said: “The proposal that we have put on the table is a considerable offer that I hope the devolved administrations will engage with constructively.
“All sides agree certain areas will require common frameworks – and it’s therefore imperative that we don’t make life more difficult for businesses and families across the UK as we manage the process of bringing new powers back from the EU.”
The SNP’s Mr Russell said he would use today’s talks to try to avert an “economic disaster”.
He said: “There is no doubt in my mind that the best option for Scotland is to remain within the EU but failing that, retaining our place in the European single market and customs union is essential and I will be emphasising this again to the UK Government. We recently published analysis that clearly sets out the damaging impact a hard Brexit will have on jobs, investment and the economy in Scotland – a loss equivalent to £2,300 per year for each person in Scotland.”