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Scotland threatens action on UK legislation

By JONATHAN POWELL in London | China Daily Global | Updated: 2020-07-09 09:28

Ian Blackford, leader of Scottish National Party in the House of Commons, speaks during question period in London, Britain, June 3, 2020. [Photo/Agencies]

The Scottish government has warned it would defy a proposed United Kingdom legislation that will allow Westminster unilaterally to set food and environmental standards.

The Financial Times newspaper reported on Wednesday that proposed controls would set the stage for the biggest constitutional standoff between London and Edinburgh since the 2016 Brexit referendum.

Michael Russell, Scotland's cabinet secretary for constitutional affairs, told the newspaper the Scottish National Party will challenge in the courts the legislation that will give London unilateral control to police the UK's "internal market".

The newspaper's report cited a source that claimed the proposed UK internal market bill is going to give London the powers to force Wales and Scotland to accept whatever new standards were agreed in future trade agreements on environment, animal welfare and food.

The devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales oversee policy on food safety, agriculture and many aspects of environment, but now after Brexit the UK government wants to have authority on issues previously decided in Brussels.

The Welsh government shares Russell's concerns that the proposals could lead to it having to accept products and standards it did not want.

Russell said the Scottish administration accepted the need for "common frameworks" across the UK and had been working with British government officials to try to agree them in contested policy areas, but rejected ministers seeking to "impose what they like".

"We do not accept that this is a legitimate way of operating within devolution," Russell told the newspaper. " (If) they pass legislation…then we will have no intention of implementing that and they would have to essentially go to court to force its implementation."

Last week, Russell accused British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government of seeking to undermine Scotland's ability to create its own laws with the new legislation.

In a letter to the Cabinet Office minister, Michael Gove, Russell said: "This scheme amounts to using Brexit as a cover to mount the biggest power grab on the Scottish Parliament yet and we will do all we can to stop it from happening."

He added that the proposals "ignore the reality and history of devolution".

However, Gove accused him of trying to "confect" a political row.

A spokesman for Gove said: "It's disappointing that the SNP administration has tried to confect yet another political row to pursue their separatist agenda over rumours.

"As we cautiously emerge from coronavirus and focus on our country's recovery, we will consider how to bring people in the UK closer together, not put up more barriers. Sixty percent of Scottish trade is with the rest of the UK, worth more than 50 billion pounds to Scotland-we won't let the SNP threaten that."

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