THE Scottish and UK governments remain at loggerheads over the key Brexit legislation, with the two sides emerging from a crunch meeting on improving it still far apart.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney and SNP Brexit minister Michael Russell said the EU Withdrawal Bill was “unworkable” and a “blatant power grab” after the talks in London.
However First Secretary Damian Green, effectively the Deputy Prime Minister, said he was “cautiously optimistic” about reaching a deal.
They were speaking after the three ministers and Scottish Secretary David Mundell met at the Cabinet Office to discuss the SNP’s deep hostility to the Westminster Bill.
The Scottish Government is refusing to back its consent by MSPs as it undermine the principle that powers not reserved to Westminster are automatically devolved.
The Bill would see powers in 111 devolved areas repatriated from Brussels to London at Brexit, some of which would be devolved, but others shared in UK-wide agreements.
The two sides are now thrashing out which powers go where and when.
Mr Swinney said the discussions were “constructive” but the Bill remained unacceptable.
He said: “We are not opposed in principle to UK-wide frameworks in certain areas – but this must be on the basis of agreement among equals, not imposed by Westminster.
“The bill as currently drafted is impractical and unworkable. It is a blatant power grab.
“Unless there are serious and significant changes to the proposed legislation, we will not recommend that the Scottish Parliament give consent to the bill.
“The current proposals are a direct threat to the devolution settlement which the people of Scotland overwhelmingly voted for in 1997.”
Mr Green said: “I said that it was time for the talks to get serious and they have got serious.
“We had a positive and constructive meeting and we are now starting to get into the nitty gritty of the detail of how we make sure Brexit works for all parts of the UK.
“The key point is that we want to bring back these powers from the EU in a way that protects the UK market and also preserves the spirit and letter of the devolution settlement.
“I am cautiously optimistic we will be able to agree a way forward.”
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