Welfare changes ‘damaging’ to low income families
Minister for Social Security Jeane Freeman has expressed strong opposition to the UK Government on its proposal to limit the number of children in families who can qualify for Child Tax Credit and Universal Credit. Continue reading Freeman urges Westminster rethink on latest welfare proposals
Theresa May wishes everyone a peaceful, prosperous and happy New Year. Continue reading New Year 2017: Prime Minister’s message
It’s the blame game. Local government blames Holyrood for cuts to services. Holyrood blames Westminster. Westminster says it’s Holyrood’s fault – and so the cycle goes on. And on. And on. And while the various democratic structures pass the buck, communities continue to suffer – and, as ever, the poorest communities suffer most …
COSLA President Councillor David O’Neill said that Council Leaders had given COSLA a very clear message over the course of the last week that the Scottish Government have to treat local government fairly in tomorrow’s settlement announcement. Continue reading COSLA: give us a break
Westminster’s Department for Exiting the European Union has compiled answers to the questions most asked about the UK’s departure from the European Union.
No. The country voted to leave the European Union and it is the duty of the Government and Parliament to make sure we do just that.
Our priority is to build a national consensus around our exit from the EU. We have already started a wide-ranging programme of engagement, listening to organisations, institutions and companies in as many sectors as possible to establish their priorities and understand their concerns, and also to hear what they think the opportunities are.
The rules for exiting the EU are set out in Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. This is the only lawful route for withdrawal from the EU under the Treaties.
The Prime Minister has made clear the Government’s intention to trigger Article 50 no later than the end of March 2017. It is in everyone’s interest that we take time to establish a UK approach and clear objectives for negotiations.
The Department for Exiting the European Union is responsible for overseeing negotiations to leave the EU and establishing the future relationship between the UK and EU. The Department now has just over 300 staff in London and a further 120 people working in the UK Representation in Brussels. We are currently undertaking 2 broad areas of work:
The Government’s position is clear. This is a prerogative power and one that can be exercised by the Government, and we aim to prove that in the Supreme Court. Both Houses of Parliament legislated for the referendum, with cross-party support, and it was clear that it was for the people to decide whether to remain in the EU or leave it.
Our vision for Britain outside the EU is clear: a fully independent, sovereign country. We are not looking for an ‘off the shelf’ deal for our future relationship – a Norwegian model or a Swiss model – it’s going to be an agreement between an independent, sovereign UK and the EU. We want that relationship to reflect the kind of mature, cooperative relationship that close friends and allies enjoy.
The European Communities Act will be repealed on the day we leave the EU – meaning that the authority of EU law in Britain will end. We will convert the body of existing EU law into domestic law and then Parliament will be free to amend, repeal and improve any law it chooses. More information on the Great Repeal Bill is below.
DExEU is working closely with the Home Office and other Government departments to identify and develop options to shape our future immigration system, including considering the best way to control the number of people coming to the UK following our exit from the EU.
At every step of these negotiations we will work to ensure the best possible outcome for the British people.
There has been no change to the rights and status of EU nationals in the UK, or of UK citizens in the EU, as a result of the referendum.
The Prime Minister has been clear that during negotiations she wants to protect the status of EU nationals already living here, and the only circumstances in which that wouldn’t be possible is if UK citizens’ rights in European member states were not protected in return.
You can find more advice for EU citizens living in the UK.
The Prime Minister has been clear that she wants to protect the rights of UK citizens living in European member states, in the same way that we want to protect the status of EU nationals already living here.
At every step of these negotiations we will work to ensure the best possible outcome for the people of the United Kingdom.
You can find more advice for UK nationals in the EU.
This is a complex issue and DExEU is working closely with the Home Office and other Government departments to identify and develop options to shape our future immigration system.
We want to see net migration to the UK fall to sustainable levels.
On non-EU migration we have already acted to clamp down on abuses, such as bogus colleges and sham marriages, and we will go further in the months ahead. And now that we are leaving the EU we have an opportunity to gain control on the numbers of people coming here from Europe.
The UK needs a fair and controlled immigration policy and that is exactly what this government will deliver.
The Department for Exiting the European Union oversees negotiations to leave the EU and leads on establishing a new trade and economic relationship with the EU as part of the overall negotiation.
The new Department for International Trade leads on boosting UK trade: promoting the UK as a place to do business and trade with; driving inward investment; and, in time, negotiating trade deals and free trade agreements.
Leaving the EU offers us an opportunity to forge a new role for ourselves in the world: to negotiate our own trade agreements and to be a positive and powerful force for free trade. We recognise the need for a smooth transition which minimises disruption to our trading relationships, including with developing countries. There will be no immediate changes to our relationship with the EU. Until we have left, the UK will remain a member of the EU with all of the rights and obligations that membership entails.
As the Prime Minister said: we want British companies to have the maximum freedom to trade with and operate in the Single Market – and to let European businesses do the same here.
There are different aspects to the Customs Union which is why it is important to look at the detail and get the answer right.
There will be no immediate change. The UK will remain a member of the EU until its exit and so continues to pay into the EU and continues to receive funds. The UK will continue to have all of the rights, obligations and benefits that membership brings, up until the point we leave the EU.
We recognise that many organisations across the UK which are in receipt of EU funding, or expect to start receiving funding, want reassurance about the flow of funding they will receive. That is why we are confirming that structural and investment funds projects signed before the Autumn Statement and Horizon research funding granted before we leave the EU will be guaranteed by the Treasury after we leave. Thousands of British organisations have received guarantees over EU funding from the Chancellor.
The Government will work on subsequent funding arrangements as part of our negotiations to leave the EU and will give more information in due course.
You can find more detailed information on this from HM Treasury.
It is a piece of legislation which will stop the European Communities Act 1972 from applying in the UK on the day we leave the EU. This ‘Great Repeal Bill’ will end the authority of EU law and return power to the UK.
This Bill does not prejudge the negotiation. It will not affect when the Prime Minister triggers Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which is what starts the process of our negotiation for leaving the EU.
This is about ensuring that our exit is smooth and orderly, which is in the best interests of the UK and our EU partners. There are decades of EU law to consider, and we must ensure our laws work when we leave and that we provide the maximum possible stability.
All Government departments are currently reviewing the EU laws that apply in their policy areas and how our withdrawal from the EU will affect the operation of those laws. Where laws need to be fixed, that’s what the Government will do.
We are working closely with the devolved administrations to get the best possible deal for all parts of the UK as we leave the EU. The Prime Minister is committed to engaging with the Joint Ministerial Committee, bringing together the devolved administrations and the UK Government. This will ensure cooperation and consensus between governments.
We will give the devolved administrations every opportunity to have their say as we form our negotiating strategy.
In 2014, the Scottish people decided in a legal, fair and decisive Referendum to remain part of a strong UK. That result should be respected. And that is how we will approach our negotiations for leaving the EU: together as one United Kingdom.
The UK Government must use the Autumn Statement to reverse its freeze on benefits and the damaging reduction of the benefit cap, and ensure low income families will not face any further welfare cuts Finance Secretary Derek Mackay has said.
He urged the Chancellor to reverse the further lowering of the benefit cap which came into force last week – which the Chartered Institute of Housing’s recent report estimates will affect up to 20,000 children in Scotland, and to reconsider the on-going freeze to working age benefits and cuts to work allowances in Universal Credit.
Mr Mackay also asked for confirmation that the UK Government will not add to the welfare cuts already planned to be imposed on Scotland which are expected to reduce annual spending on social security by around £1 billion by 2020.
Mr Mackay said: “Low income families have faced the brunt of the UK Government’s damaging welfare reform agenda to date so it’s only right that the Chancellor provides some reassurance that they will be protected from further attacks in the Autumn Statement.
“The impact of cuts and changes to benefits over the last few years, alongside a discredited sanctions regime, has widened the poverty gap, left families on low incomes worrying about putting food on the table, heating their homes and paying their bills, and driven the rise in the need for foodbanks.
“With £1 billion expected to be annually cut from benefits by 2020 UK Government policies will plunge significant numbers of households into financial difficulties – the UK Government should recognise it has squeezed enough from the welfare budget and low income families.”
Social Security Secretary Angela Constance added: “We will continue to urge the UK Government to reverse changes to the benefit cap and the on-going freeze to working age benefits as it is harming our poorest households.
“We are already spending £100 million a year in mitigating the worst of the welfare cuts inflicted by the UK Government, including fully protecting people from the bedroom tax. This is money which would be far better spent on lifting people out of poverty.”
Public’s help needed, says local MP Continue reading Dierdre Brock: Dump the rape clause
Prime Minister Theresa May chaired her first Joint Ministerial Committee meeting with devolved administration leaders at 10 Downing Street yesterday – and while Number 10 says the talks were constructive, Scotland’s First Minister said the session was ‘hugely frustrating’. Continue reading No meeting of minds on Brexit strategy
Prime Minister Theresa May is to offer the devolved administrations a new forum to allow them to help shape the UK’s EU exit strategy. The devolved administrations will be offered the chance of a direct line to the Brexit secretary to allow them to help shape the UK’s EU exit strategy.
Prime Minister Theresa May will make the offer of a new official forum, to be chaired by David Davis, to the leaders of Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish governments today.
It follows the pledge the Prime Minister made in her first weeks in office that she was fully committed to engaging with the devolved administrations as the government delivers on the verdict of the UK people in their vote to leave the EU.
In the first meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee for 2 years, the Prime Minister will say the government is ready to listen to proposals put forward by political leaders from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as she renegotiates the UK’s relationship with the EU.
She has made clear that strategies taken forward must protect and advance the needs of all people.
Prime Minister Theresa May said: “I am determined that as we make a success of our exit from the European Union, we in turn further strengthen our own enduring union.
“The great union between us has been the cornerstone of our prosperity in the past – and it is absolutely vital to our success in the future.
“The country is facing a negotiation of tremendous importance and it is imperative that the devolved administrations play their part in making it work. The new forum I am offering will be the chance for them all to put forward their proposals on how to seize the opportunities presented by Brexit and deliver the democratic decision expressed by the people of the UK.
If the devolved governments accept the offer of formal discussions, a new sub-committee of the Joint Ministerial Committee will be established, chaired by David Davis and attended by nominees put forward by the devolved governments.”
The Prime Minister will offer a first meeting by the end of November and at least one more by Christmas as negotiations progress before Article 50 is triggered by the end of March.
She is also set to discuss the government’s position on the EU exit strategy. The Prime Minister is expected to say that, contrary to some speculation, no final decisions have been taken and that how the UK leaves the EU will not boil down to a binary choice.
And she will tell Nicola Sturgeon, Carwyn Jones, Arlene Foster and Martin McGuinness that she and Brexit secretary David Davis will listen to any proposals made.
David Mundell, Secretary of State for Scotland, Alun Cairns, Secretary of State for Wales and James Brokenshire, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland will be attending the Joint Ministerial Committee.
The new forum for government discussion, to be known as the Joint Ministerial Committee (EU Negotiations), will place the devolved administrations on a formal footing for discussions and allow them to voice the views of the governments they lead as negotiations progress.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Michael Russell, Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland’s Place in Europe, laid out Holyrood’s position yesterday and said the Scotland must be treated as an equal partner in negotiations with the EU.
Scottish Ministers will expect Prime Minister Theresa May and the UK Government to demonstrate how they intend to deliver on their commitment to involve the Scottish Government fully in discussions to develop an agreed UK approach and listen to alternative proposals for Scotland at today’s meeting.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Mr Russell said: “The UK Government needs to understand there is a triple mandate to maintain Scotland’s relationship with, and place in, Europe. The clearly-expressed views of the people of Scotland, the democratically elected Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament all need to be respected.
“But four months on from the referendum we have yet to see a proposal from the UK Government on how the views of people in Scotland will be taken into account.
“The Scottish Government is becoming increasingly concerned that the UK is heading for a hard Brexit with all the damage that will bring to the Scottish and UK economies.
“The Prime Minister has set the clock ticking and the UK Government must use the time before triggering article 50 to engage properly with all the devolved administrations and show that they are willing and able to treat Scotland as an equal partner.
“A majority of people in Scotland voted to maintain their relationship with Europe and we expect to see the UK Government take account of that and to formulate an agreed negotiating position.
“We will continue to pursue all options to protect Scotland’s interests, including working with other devolved administrations and other parties to drive the UK away from the cliff edge of a hard Brexit and putting forward our own proposals for a different approach for Scotland within the UK.
“However, we can make no progress without clarity on what the UK Government wants from Brexit and how it intends to reach an agreement across the UK.”
To mark the national day against slavery on October 18, International Development Secretary Priti Patel outlined an increase in support for women and girl refugees in Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon, and for vulnerable people at risk of trafficking on migration routes in North Africa and Europe. The Scottish Government also launched a consultation on human trafficking last week. Continue reading UK steps up to support global fight against slavery and child exploitation
Deidre Brock MP has dismissed Tory calls to bring the Royal Yacht Britannia back as a working ship as ‘daft’. Speaking ahead of this afternoon’s parliamentary debate on the issue, Ms Brock said: “The Royal Yacht Britannia is a beautifully kept museum piece. The plan to bring it back as a working ship is just daft.
“The ship is a floating curiosity from a bygone era and it is staying put in Leith – not just because one of the propellers has been melted down into a statue of a Royal Yachtsman.
“By remaining at the Ocean Terminal, Britannia can actually give something back to society, bringing in money to help regenerate a poorer area, rather than leeching further from the public purse.
“Given the austerity being inflicted upon us, surely even the Tories would flinch at the idea of recommissioning a Royal Yacht?
“As benefit sanctions leave the most disadvantaged people to go hungry, as the working poor join claimants in the foodbank queues, how can anyone justify recommissioning a Royal Yacht? Which budget do they want to cut for that?
“Flashboat democracy has no place in the modern world – which has changed utterly from the day in 1997 that Britannia was decommissioned, never mind the world in which it was commissioned in the first place. If Tories want to see economic revival then they must act to ease austerity and properly invest in our people, our infrastructure and our public services, not throw money at baubles from a bygone era.”
Today’s Westminster debate ‘Reintroduction of the Royal Yacht Britannia for the purpose of international trade’ was called by Conservative MP Jake Berry. The case for reintroduction of the vessel has support of a many Conservatives including Michael Gove MP.
