The Scottish Parliament has voted to withhold consent for the UK government's European Union (Withdrawal) Bill, marking the first time Holyrood has rejected a Westminster bill that is likely to be imposed without its approval. MSPs voted 93 to 30 against granting consent, with Labour, Green and Liberal Democrat members joining the SNP in opposition. The Scottish Conservatives voted in favour and criticised the SNP for failing to reach an agreement.
Scotland's Brexit Secretary, Mike Russell, urged the UK government to respect the parliament's decision, stating: 'The Scottish Parliament has now said overwhelmingly that this attempt to undermine devolution is unacceptable. The UK government cannot ignore the reality of devolution or try to drown out what this parliament says.' The UK government has the legal authority to proceed without Holyrood's consent, but doing so would break a 20-year constitutional convention.
The dispute centres on 24 policy areas, including agriculture, fisheries and food labelling, where the UK government wants to retain temporary control after Brexit to ensure a smooth departure from EU law. The Scottish government argues this could prevent Holyrood from legislating in devolved areas for up to seven years. The UK government has offered to devolve the 'vast majority' of 158 policy areas currently decided in Brussels, but the Scottish government has produced its own alternative Brexit bill, which is subject to a legal challenge by the UK government.
Scottish Conservative constitution spokesman Adam Tomkins said the UK government had already made 'radical' changes to the bill, which led the Welsh Labour government to drop its opposition. He added: 'The only government that hasn't compromised is the Scottish government.' The vote is a political blow for Prime Minister Theresa May, adding to the challenges of securing a Brexit deal, though the practical impact may be limited given the UK government's power to impose the legislation.
