Council of the Nations and Regions

Lord Reid of Cardowan Excerpts

Wednesday 27th November 2024 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

That threw me, my Lords. I am assured that they will be recognised through their combined authority and will be able to attend future meetings. I will come back to the right reverend Prelate on the other points.

[Lord Reid of Cardowan (Lab)]

My Lords, for the last decade, the relationship between the UK Government and Edinburgh has not been—how can I put it?—the healthiest. In what way can the Council of the Nations and Regions ensure that those relationships are healthier and more productive in the next decade, not least for the people of Scotland, who have lost out because of that fractiousness between the two Governments?

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

That is at the nub of the creation of the Council of the Nations and Regions. It is about making sure that we deliver for every corner of the country, that we do not just reset but normalise relationships between the UK Government and the devolved assemblies. What we saw on 11 October at the first meeting of the Council of the Nations and Regions was a meeting bringing everyone to Edinburgh to have those conversations and to talk about what priorities should be before the investment summit that occurred in the following days. That delivers real investment. We heard a great deal from the previous Government about levelling up. This is about levelling up in action and making sure that we are prioritising every corner and not just those that shout loudest.