LABOUR ministers have been accused of consistently “undermining devolved relations” and have failed to reset the relationship between the UK and Scottish Governments, an SNP official has claimed.
The Scotsman reports that a senior Scottish Government source has criticised the UK Labour Government’s approach to intergovernmental relations since the 2024 general election.
Following the election last year, Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke of the need to “reset” the relationship with the Scottish Government in his first meeting with John Swinney.
But now, UK ministers have been accused of repeatedly cancelling meetings, not providing documents or sharing information, and “presenting things as a fait accompli”.
The UK Government also agreed a new fisheries deal with the EU without consulting Scottish ministers, despite the area being a devolved matter.
SNP ministers are now understood to be seeking assurances this is a “one-off” of Westminster trying to legislate in devolved areas.
The newspaper reports that Scottish officials were only told about a meeting with data protection and telecoms minister Chris Bryant (below) “late on Friday”.
This meant there was not enough time to prepare for the meeting on creative industries strategy, officials said, with documents published online half an hour before the meeting took place.
“We were told there would be a reset and we have worked hard to make that a reality, but we have now run out of road because there has been no reset,” the source told The Scotsman.
“It is comparable to the bad, old habits of the last UK Conservative government, which we had an appalling relationship with.
They claimed the Scottish Government is the “grown-ups in the room” when dealing with the UK Government.
A spokesperson for the UK Government said in response: “Whoever this senior Scottish Government source is, they appear to be contradicting the comments of John Swinney himself, who hailed relations as ‘incomparably better’ compared to the Tory government.
“The UK government has indeed legislated in devolved areas with the Scottish Government’s express consent - on better rights in the private rented sector, ensuring ScotRail is kept in public hands, keeping young people safe online, as well as tougher rules on knife sales.”
They added that both governments are working together on issues including Grangemouth, Alexander Dennis and the “clean energy mission”.
“This government has reset the relationship between the UK government and the Scottish Government,” the spokesperson added.
“That doesn’t mean we will agree on everything, but where we do agree we should work together.
“The vast majority of Scots just want to see their two governments work together to get things done, and will take a dim view of people complaining they don’t have enough time to prepare for a meeting rather than get on with it.”
In May, the First Minister said the relationship between the UK and Scottish Governments was “deteriorating”, in the wake of Starmer announcing the deal with the EU.
"It does appear that the Scottish fishing industry has once again been negotiated away by the UK Government, demonstrating that Scotland is an afterthought for the UK Government,” Swinney said at the time.
