Boris Johnson thinks devolution is "a disaster" and would like to reverse it, his former advisor Dominic Cummings has said
The reported comments echo remarks Mr Johnson was said to have made during a Zoom call with northern Conservative MPs where he called the policy a disaster. The prime minister said that his words were “not entirely accurately” reported and that he was only opposed to the “way the SNP have handled devolution in Scotland” rather than Holyrood itself.
Mr Cummings posted a 4,000-word blog on July 4 then hosted a question and answer session with members of the public on the blogsite Substack. Asked what the Prime Minister really said about the constitutional set-up behind the scenes, Mr Cummings told Scottish newspaper The National : “He’s an unthinking unionist. Thinks devolution/Scottish parliament was a disaster, would like to reverse it but won’t dare try.”
The UK government has been criticised for overriding the wishes of the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish administrations, particularly over the Internal Market Act, which allows UK ministers to invest directly into devolved areas, something Welsh Government has said will undermine its powers.
Last week it was revealed Welsh Government will be allowed to appeal after a legal challenge to a post-Brexit UK trade law was blocked.
They claim the Internal Market Act will restrict devolved powers but permission for a High Court challenge was refused on the grounds of being premature however, the Welsh Government can now appeal that decision.
The prime minister’s official spokesman has said that No 10 would not respond to every allegation made by Cummings.
