Former first minister Jack McConnell has told MPs that there needs to be a “fundamental change” to the devolution settlement post-Brexit.
Lord McConnell, who served as first minister between 2001 and 2007, argued that with the reparation of powers from Brussels to Westminster there should come the creation of a “national council of UK ministers” able to take joint decisions in areas such as fisheries.
The reforms, he said, would see the UK transition into a “multi-national” state where the interests of all devolved nations are better served.
The Labour peer made the comments while appearing before the Commons Scottish Affairs Committee, which is carrying out an inquiry into the relationship between the UK and Scottish Government.
Many thanks to Lord McConnell, Sir Peter Housden and Lord Wallace for coming and talking to us today about their experiences and opinions of UK and Scottish Government relations. Watch it back here: https://t.co/j9DlPzooco#UKScotlandRelations pic.twitter.com/KnnwIwuMEy
— Scottish Affairs Committee (@CommonsScotAffs) February 5, 2019
He said: “I think after Brexit when you have powers being repatriated from Brussels and Britain’s new role in the world in terms of trade deals and so on, I think so many of these areas involve both reserved and devolved powers that I think there is need to have a new structure.
“I don’t think it can be left to individual relationships and department to department liaisons.
“That’s one of the reasons I’ve called for a UK council of ministers, similar to the EU council of ministers, which would give proper respect and due weight to the devolved governments alongside the UK Government in joint decision making, for example on fisheries but also perhaps in other areas as well.”
Lord McConnell went on to share his view that the House of Lords should be abolished in favour of a “house of the nations and regions”, he said: “I think that might change the balance of power in here more than any of the government changes”.
Many thanks to Baroness Liddell, Alun Evans and Michael Moore for discussing the relationship between the UK and Scottish Governments with us today. Watch it back here: https://t.co/j9DlPzooco#UKScotlandRelations pic.twitter.com/mm7a1oF20h
— Scottish Affairs Committee (@CommonsScotAffs) February 5, 2019
Later in the evidence session Helen Liddell, who served as Scottish secretary in Tony Blair’s Labour government, said she would like to see UK ministers venture to Scotland more often.
Baroness Liddell said: “There is a bit of nervousness on the part of ministers in other departments about doing anything that relates to Scotland because they’re scared of putting a foot wrong, we really need to get people more comfortable with coming in to Scotland.”
