MSPs invited to withhold consent for Retained EU Law Bill

The bill seeks to revoke over 2,400 pieces of EU legislation that were included in the UK statute book at the end of the Brexit transition period.

In a letter to Business Secretary Grant Shapps, Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson set out the Scottish government’s rationale for recommending Parliament withholds its consent.

The letter reiterates the opposition of Scottish ministers to the legislation and highlights the concerns of some bodies, such as RSPB Scotland and Greener UK, who say the bill will “derail urgent action to tackle the nature and climate crisis” and “rip up our most important nature protections in Scotland”.

Mr Robertson writes: “This Bill also represents a significant further undermining of devolution. By allowing UK Government Ministers to act in policy areas that are devolved, and to do so without the consent of Scottish Ministers or the Scottish Parliament is in direct contradiction to the intent of the devolved settlement. Despite repeated assurances from UK Ministers that the Sewel Convention would be respected, changes to the Bill that would ensure respect for devolution have so far been resisted by UK Government. I know this concern is shared by Welsh Government.”

The letter can be read in full here.