SCOTTISH MPs have warned Theresa May not to bypass Holyrood over Brexit after Downing Street raised the possibility the Prime Minister could seek MSPs’ consent on just one occasion, despite there being eight pieces of legislation planned over EU withdrawal.

The concerns have been raised as MPs tonight vote on the UK Government’s flagship EU withdrawal bill, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the 1997 referendum vote that brought in Scottish devolution. All the main opposition parties are set to oppose the Brexit legislation.  In an eve-of-vote plea, David Davis, the Brexit Secretary, urged “all MPs of all parts of the UK to come together in support of this crucial legislation”, saying to do otherwise would be a “vote for a chaotic exit”.  Given that no Tories are expected to rebel, the Government should narrowly win the vote.

Whitehall has already made clear it will seek a so-called Legislative Consent Motion (LCM) – whereby Holyrood gives consent to Westminster legislating on normally devolved issues – on the main EU withdrawal bill.

But there are seven other proposed pieces of legislation, which cover diverse areas from trade, customs and immigration, to fisheries, agriculture, nuclear safety and international sanctions; aspects of which could fall under the Scottish Parliament’s devolved remit.

Asked how many LCMs Mrs May would seek from Holyrood, a No 10 spokesman said: “We’ve already said we will seek a consent motion on the repeal bill.

“On top of that, we’ll engage constructively with all the devolved administrations on a number of bills and – in line with the convention – seek Legislative Consent Motions where they are appropriate.”

Already on the flagship legislation, Nicola Sturgeon for the Scottish Government and Carwyn Jones for the Welsh Government have made clear they will not recommend the legislatures in Edinburgh and Cardiff agree to granting an LCM because they regard the withdrawal bill as a “naked power-grab” by Whitehall – a charge denied by Mrs May and her colleagues, who have promised a “powers bonanza” for Scotland.

Any opposition from the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly could set back a tight legislative process, particularly if consent were refused on more than one occasion, thus sowing the seeds of a long-running constitutional battle.

Last week, during the first of two days’ debate on the repeal bill, Mr Davis was asked about seeking LCMs beyond the main legislation and failed to give an answer, save to say the UK Government had said it would put its “overall negotiation” through an LCM.

The SNP’s Patrick Grady, who asked the question, said: “It seems David Davis’s ‘constructive ambiguity’ is not limited to his negotiating tactics with Brussels.

“The UK Government must make clear that it intends to seek consent from the devolved administrations for any legislation, that has an effect on devolved competencies.

“The unprecedented power-grab by the minority Tory government threatens to undermine the very principles of the devolved settlement,” added the MP for Glasgow North.

Alistair Carmichael, the LibDems’ chief whip, picked up on the No 10 phrase “where they are appropriate”, and said: “There’s no getting around the fact that even to consider bypassing the Scottish Parliament demonstrates a lack of respect for the devolved settlement and plays right into the hands of the SNP’s grievance machine.”