The devolved Scottish government have refused their consent for the EU Withdrawal bill (HERE). This is said to have the potential to spark a constitutional crisis. At the heart of the problem is Westminster's demand that powers returned from Brussels must go to them first, before UK legislation transfers 24 powers to Holyrood. These are powers over such things as agriculture, fishing and the environment.
Not for the first time the government finds itself on both sides of the same argument. In 2014 when the Scottish independence referendum was on they were told we were "better together" and even the most fervent Brexiteers wanted to keep the union together. In 2016 though, the same Brexiteers were saying being in a union was "shackling" us and we would be better off being independent with our own trade policy shaped to suit our economy.
Now, having argued in the campaign that "taking back control" was essential, they are refusing to let Scotland, Wales and Ireland take back control over these 24 policy areas.
The BBC (HERE) in an explainer say:
The row is about how these common frameworks are set up, and who has the final say over them where ministers fail to agree. UK ministers say that some areas are so important that in the first few years after Brexit, they can't afford splits in that "internal market" over things like food standards.
We can't afford "splits" in our internal market which is precisely what we are arguing for in Brussels - the right to diverge from the single market rules - and more than that Mrs May seems to think we can also have "frictionless" borders. Scotland want from us more or less what we want from the EU.
