Trust between Scottish leadership and Westminster ‘now at its lowest ebb’

A SCOTTISH Government Minister has told how trust with Westminster has reached its “lowest ebb” as the stand-off continues over post-Brexit powers.

It comes as research by a Commons committee found just one in 1,000 people believe the two governments work well together. The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee found 0.1 per cent of people believe the two administrations work well together, while an overwhelmingly 98.7 per cent said they did not.

That was the view of respondents to the committee’s public forum on Scottish devolution.

MPs from the committee met in Edinburgh as the stand-off between the Scottish and UK governments over post-Brexit powers continues.

Ministers at Holyrood are still refusing to give their consent to the EU Withdrawal Bill, with opposition continuing after their counterparts in Wales withdrew their objections to the legislation.

But Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard backed the SNP stance on this – demanding more changes from the UK Government.

While Scottish Brexit Minister Mike Russell stressed the Scottish Government still wanted to give legislative consent to the Bill, the “core issue” had not been resolved. He insisted that as it stands it would mean “the Scottish Parliament will have its legislative competence very substantially overruled for a substantial period of time, not just in the 24 areas that are likely to be the subject of frameworks, but in any other area that the UK Government chooses”.

He added: “The trust on which the relationship has to be based is at a pretty low ebb, probably the lowest ebb I have experienced.”