Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has rejected the latest offer from the UK Government to the devolved administrations as an impasse over a post-Brexit ‘power grab’ shows no signs of abating. A row has been simmering since the Conservatives’ “Great Repeal Bill” showed that powers returning from the EU in areas normally devolved to the Scottish Government, could revert to Westminster in the first instance. READ MORE: ‘No deal’ likely on post-Brexit devolved powers Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington, effectively Theresa May’s deputy, made a major speech yesterday in which he tried to diffuse the argument over what Ms Sturgeon and her Welsh equivalent Carwyn Jones categorise as a ‘power grab’. Mr Lidington said that the ‘vast majority’ of returning powers would go to the devolved administrations, and that powers would only be reserved to facilitate a ‘pause’ to draw up a framework for the whole of the UK. A deal is essential as the UK Government is seeking ‘legislative consent’ from the Scottish parliament for the EU Withdrawal Bill, an outcome that Ms Sturgeon confirms remains unlikely as it stands. READ MORE: David Lidington says Brexit can’t undermine UK union She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We are simply trying to protect the powers that the Scottish Parliament already has - things like agriculture, fishing, environmental policy, food standards, justice, health. “These are all currently responsibilities of the Scottish Parliament. At the moment we have to exercise those powers within the confines of European law. “But after Brexit, in terms of the devolution settlement, those powers should return to the Scottish Parliament and it should be up to us how we exercise them. “I will not sign up to something that effectively undermines the whole foundation on which devolution is built and no first minister, no Scottish government worth its salt, should do so.”
Scotland 's first Minister Theresa May has said she will not support the Scotland government's retention of around 25 devolved powers after Brexit , as it "effectively undermines the whole foundation on which devolution is built". Sturgeon minister Theresa May said after Brexit , the "vast majority" of devolved powers would return to Scotland and Wales , while some would be held back until a post-Brexit framework had been put in place. Sturgeon is set to meet prime minister Theresa May before the end of March .