‘We can only end up with less’ – the risks and challenges of Brexit
On 29 March, Sir Emyr Jones Parry, President of the LSW published an essay in the Western Mail on the risks and challenges of Brexit, in particularly in terms of the impact on the devolved legislatures of the UK, and their relationship with Westminster:
Exiting the EU will not lead directly to additional powers being available to the devolved nations.
Those powers result from Acts of the British Parliament, and in the case of Scotland are already comprehensive other than for the powers reserved to Westminster.
However it will free the devolved legislatures from the specific obligation to legislate consistent with EU law and with EU policies as they exploit the powers already transferred to them by Westminster.
[…] The challenges ahead are immense and the different work burdens substantial. But if opportunities are to be seized and damaging constitutional dispute avoided, governments need to work constructively and more transparently with each other to find solutions which as far as possible meet the different interests involved.
The Joint Ministerial Committee brings together representatives of the four governments, in part to liaise on such issues. But it does not seem to get into a real productive debate to tackle these problems, still less to encourage working cooperation between officials as policy is being developed.