Scottish Labour says new Tory Brexit bill “threatens very foundations of UK”

Scottish Labour has joined criticism of the UK government’s internal markets bill by describing the Prime Minister’s new Brexit policy as “a farce that threatens the very foundations of the United Kingdom”.

Richard Leonard’s party has said that the Tories are risking a break-up of the UK by completely bypassing devolved administrations in the process of proposing the controversial Brexit bill in the House of Commons.

Alex Rowley, Scottish Labour spokesperson for Brexit and the constitution, said: “With the publication of its UK internal market bill, the UK government seems determined to bypass the devolution settlement.

“The interests of Scotland and the other devolved administrations must be listened to, and failure to do so is the biggest threat to the future of the United Kingdom. The Tories must stop playing fast and loose with devolution or pay the price.

“There has been woefully poor communication with the devolved administrations, with the UK government seeming to push a ‘take it or leave it’ attitude on the internal market. What they don’t realise is they are pushing increased support for a break-up of the UK through this heavy-handed approach.”

The government insists that the controversial internal markets bill, introduced to the UK parliament by the Prime Minister on Wednesday, will create an “open, fair, and competitive market across the UK”.

But Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis has admitted to the Commons that the bill would “break international law in a very specific and limited way”, by going back on what the UK had previously agreed in the EU withdrawal agreement.

Commenting on the other central criticism of the proposed legislation, Rowley added: “This bill will also undermine the Brexit withdrawal agreement with huge concerns being raised over the border in Northern Ireland.

“Indeed, the UK government admitted it breaks international law over the Northern Ireland protocol and the UK’s top legal civil servant has resigned. It is a farce, but a farce that threatens the very foundations of the United Kingdom.

“Given the threat to devolution from this bill the Scottish Parliament should not give legislative consent, it is time for the UK government to properly listen to the views of the devolved administrations.”

Mark Drakeford has said that the internal markets bill represents a “smash and grab” on the devolution settlement by taking back powers that have been devolved to Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland for 20 years.

The Labour Welsh First Minister described the bill put forward by the UK government as an “enormous power grab” and warned that the measures included will “put enormous strains into the union that is the UK”.

Jonathan Jones, the government’s top legal official, resigned in protest over the bill on Tuesday. Shadow Justice Secretary David Lammy has since called on his opposite Robert Buckland to “stand by your oath to respect rule of law” by opposing the bill.