The UK government has been accused of using Brexit to seize back devolved powers, after Cabinet Office minister David Lidington outlined proposals for handling responsibilities returning from Brussels. In a speech in north Wales, Lidington said the "vast majority" of repatriated powers would initially go to Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast rather than Whitehall, but admitted the UK government would retain control over some areas to protect UK-wide trade and meet international obligations.
The proposals, described by Lidington as a "very big change", would include a temporary "backstop arrangement" allowing UK ministers to hold powers normally devolved when necessary. He insisted Whitehall departments would have to report regularly to parliament on progress in transferring these powers back to devolved administrations.
The Scottish government immediately rejected the plan, with Brexit minister Mike Russell calling it an unjustified power grab. "However they try to dress this up, the UK government is using Brexit to try to take control of devolved powers without the agreement of the Scottish parliament," he said. "It is totally unacceptable for the Tories to unilaterally rewrite the devolution settlement." Scottish officials argued that all four governments should have an equal say over common frameworks, without the UK government holding a veto.
Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones also criticised the proposal, saying the EU withdrawal bill as currently drafted allowed the UK government to take control of devolved policy areas such as farming and fishing. "This is an unacceptable attack on devolution in both Wales and Scotland," he said, while pledging to continue working with the UK and Scottish governments.
Speaking at the Airbus plant in north Wales, Lidington defended the need for a UK common market, using the example of food labelling and hygiene rules. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Theresa May claimed there was "considerable common ground" between the UK and Scottish governments, writing in Holyrood magazine that devolved administrations had already had a "beneficial" influence on her thinking about Brexit.
