Theresa May will discuss the UK’s departure from the European Union with Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish ministers today.
She will talk with ministers from each country’s devolved administration at a Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) meeting in Cardiff, Wales.
Discussion points are expected to include how to achieve a Brexit which supports UK trade and relations between international governments.
It comes as part of the PM’s efforts to “fully engage” the UK’s devolved nations informed on and engaged in Brexit discussions, ahead of plans to pass Article 50 through Parliament by the end of March.
“We will not agree on everything,” the PM said, “But that doesn’t mean we will shy away from the necessary conversations and I hope we will have further constructive discussions today.”
May said she was “delighted” to attend the meeting in the same week as the Wales Bill was being considered for Royal Assent, “heralding a new devolution settlement for Wales”.
The discussions follow a JMC meeting held by May last October as well as three subsequent JMC meetings on the subject of EU negotiations attended by David Davis MP, the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union.
Among today’s attendees will be Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon, who issued a statement this morning saying that “time is running out” for the PM to prove she has taken heed of the “significant compromises” offered by the Scottish Government.
“The Prime Minister must start to demonstrate not only that the UK government is genuinely listening to the views of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland,” she said, “But also that they are prepared to act on them in order to reach the UK position that she said she was committed to.”
Ms. Sturgeon claimed that a hard Brexit would have a “devastating impact” on the UK and reaffirmed her commitment to “protect Scotland” from this damage.