SCOTTISH and UK ministers are set to clash face-to-face over Brexit today, with both sides digging in over the devolution of powers upon leaving the EU.
The Joint Ministerial Committee on European Negotiations (JMC-EN) meets as the two governments push incompatible plans on how to rewrite the EU (Withdrawal) Bill.
After initially saying all 111 devolved competencies being repatriated at Brexit would go to Westminster, the UK government now says most will go to the devolved administrations, but insists some will be held back at UK level.
Whitehall argues some powers need to be retained at Westminster pending agreement on nation-wide common frameworks designed to protect the UK internal market.
However the SNP government says that unless every power goes to Holyrood, Westminster would have an effective veto over MSPs legislating in some devolved areas.
Anything which “impinges on the devolution settlement” would be unacceptable, they say.
SNP Brexit minister Michael Russell will meet Cabinet Office minister David Lidington, Brexit Secretary David Davis and Scottish Secretary David Mundell in Whitehall this morning, ahead of Theresa May and her cabinet attempting to thrash out their own Brexit plan at Chequers.
Mr Lidington, who will chair the JMC-EN, said there would be a “significant increase” in Holyrood’s clout, but some powers had to go to Westminster “to protect the internal UK market where necessary, in a small number of areas”.
He said: “The proposal that we have put on the table is a considerable offer that I hope the devolved administrations will engage with constructively.
"All sides agree certain areas will require common frameworks - and it’s therefore imperative that we don’t make life more difficult for businesses and families across the UK as we manage the process of bringing new powers back from the EU.
"We have demonstrated a willingness to listen and adapt our approach in order to find an agreed way forward, and we encourage others to do likewise so we can make good progress."
Mr Russell said: “With regard to the EU (Withdrawal) Bill, I will be making it abundantly clear that we need to see further progress on safeguarding devolution.
“We are not opposed to UK-wide frameworks, when they are in Scotland’s interest, but devolved powers can only be changed with the agreement of the Scottish Parliament.
“Failing that commitment from the UK Government, we will be unable to recommend consent to this legislation.”
Fresh rows broke out inside the Tories last night, after it emerged UK ministers wanted a longer transition period than the EU.
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