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Prime Minister Andy Burnham recently held meetings with the first ministers of Scotland and Wales as preparations continue for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. During his visit, Burnham engaged in face-to-face discussions with Scotland’s John Swinney and Wales’s Rhun ap Iorwerth. The talks covered a range of issues but were particularly focused on the complex relationship between London, Edinburgh, and Cardiff, especially in the context of devolution and intergovernmental cooperation.
Following these discussions, Downing Street made it clear that a second Scottish independence referendum is currently off the table. John Swinney reported that the prime minister committed to consulting with the Scottish government before advancing any plans on further devolution of powers. Rhun ap Iorwerth highlighted that he used the meeting to advocate for Wales to have equivalent powers to those of Scotland, emphasizing the need for reforms such as a new Wales Bill that would prioritize devolving policing and justice and establishing a fairer funding system to replace the Barnett formula.
A Downing Street spokesperson noted that the prime minister praised Glasgow and John Swinney for hosting the upcoming Commonwealth Games, expressing his anticipation for the event’s opening ceremony. The conversations were described as opportunities to build a cooperative model of devolution aimed at improving lives across Scotland, with Burnham expressing hopes that devolution could contribute significantly to revitalizing local economies by creating jobs and rejuvenating high streets.
John Swinney characterized the meeting as “very constructive,” focusing on areas of shared interest such as tackling the cost of living and bolstering economic strength. He welcomed Burnham’s openness to further discussions about devolving more powers across the UK, noting the prime minister’s acknowledgment that previous approaches from Westminster have not adequately served regions like Scotland. For his part, Rhun ap Iorwerth stressed the importance of mutual respect and collaboration, seeing the talks as a fresh start between their governments, aimed at delivering tangible benefits for their communities
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