THE UK Government has been warned it must commit to a “reset” in relations between Holyrood and Westminster – as Labour promise a “devolution revolution” for England.
Local Government Secretary Angela Rayner has claimed her plans to take power out of Whitehall and into communities across England – including so-called “devolution deserts” – will “kickstart the economy”.
But concerns have been raised separately that the UK Government must take action to re-establish its relationship with the Scottish Government.
Prior to the election, the SNP maintained that relations between Scotland’s two governments were the worst in the history of devolution.
Clare Adamson (below), the SNP convenor of the Scottish Parliament’s constitution committee, has written to Nick Thomas-Symonds, the minister for the constitution and European Union relations in Keir Starmer’s Government.
Noting Labour’s “commitment to reset the UK Government’s relationship with the devolved governments”, Adamson said she hopes the minister will be able to meet with the committee “as soon as practical after our summer recess”.
She requested that he respond to the cross-party committee’s proposals to update the devolution settlement.
The committee has previously warned that the Sewel Convention – which states the UK Government should not normally legislate in devolved areas without the consent of Holyrood – is “under strain”.
The committee has suggested a new memorandum of understanding should be drawn up between the UK Government and the devolved administrations in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, setting out how devolution should work now the UK is no longer part of the European Union.
Adamson previously said such a memorandum “should be one of the first steps in the journey towards addressing the impact of the changes in devolution following our departure from the EU”.
She has stressed it is “critical that any new agreements acknowledge the fundamental principle that the Scottish Parliament must have the ability to effectively oversee all the powers within its competence”.
Adamson said: “The evolving regulatory environment resembles a shifting landscape with its twists and turns, which has led to disagreements between devolved institutions and the UK Government.
“These dynamics present challenges to the Scottish Parliament’s core functions and its oversight of ministers that must be resolved to meet the challenges and opportunities ahead.”
It comes as Rayner hailed her plans for a “devolution revolution” in England, ahead of Wednesday’s King’s Speech, which outlines the Government’s law-making priorities.
It is expected to include a bill to give mayors and councils more control over skills, energy, planning and transport, including bus routes and fares.
And it will seek to established new layers of local government in places without devolution deals.
An Alba spokesperson said: “The triumphant Scottish Labour MPs claimed that Scotland would be at the heart of this new Labour Government however this latest policy initiative has pushed Scotland to the sidelines.
“Scottish Labour MPs used to be known as the feeble 50, perhaps this new grouping should be known as the feckless 37.
“Change will never come from Westminster. It is clear that only the full powers of independence can bring forward the transformative change that Scotland needs.”
