A new report highlights the negative impact of the Internal Market Act on devolved governments, urging for urgent changes to restore local powers.
Edinburgh: A recent report from Scottish Environment LINK, which represents over 40 environmental groups, claims the Internal Market Act has seriously weakened the powers of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
This law, brought in by the Tories after Brexit, aimed to create a single market across the UK. But it’s been a real headache for the Scottish Government, especially when they tried to roll out a deposit return scheme for bottles and cans.
James Mackenzie, who wrote the report, suggests some “legislative ‘keyhole surgery’” to fix the Act. He believes this could help the devolved governments thrive again.
Deborah Long, the chief executive of Scottish Environment LINK, pointed out that devolution was meant to let each nation come up with local solutions and learn from one another. This has worked well for environmental and public health policies, but now it feels like progress has stalled.
She mentioned that devolved governments are now hesitant to push through measures that were once their responsibility. If the suggested changes aren’t made, we could be stuck in a cycle of delay and uncertainty, just when we need to act fast.
The report criticizes the Act as “unfit for the governance of four nations” and insists that changes are necessary. One idea is to create an automatic exemption for environmental and public health policies.
Another option could be for the UK Government to consider broader changes to the Act through primary legislation. Mackenzie noted that while devolution was celebrated, the Act has undermined those institutions in ways many people don’t realize.
Some have called for the Act to be completely scrapped or replaced with something that respects devolution. While a full replacement might be ideal, the report suggests that even small changes could help restore fairness similar to the EU single market.
Kat Jones from Action to Protect Rural Scotland shared her frustration about the deposit return scheme. After a decade of campaigning, the UK ministers pulled the plug at the last minute, wasting time and money while harming the environment.
She emphasized that the Internal Market Act goes against the principles of devolution, which had been working well for nearly 20 years before its introduction. Jones urged UK ministers to consider the proposed changes for the sake of democracy and the environment.
A spokesperson for the UK Government stated they are committed to collaborating with devolved nations to support local economic success. They’re starting a broad review of the Internal Market Act this month and will consult widely to improve processes and promote growth across the UK.
Scottish Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes added that the Act was imposed on the Scottish Parliament without consent and undermines devolution. She insisted that the review must lead to the Act’s repeal and restore the Scottish Parliament’s powers.
