Scotland and Wales tell Burnham local devolution rests with their parliaments

Scotland and Wales have told UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham that decisions on local devolution rest solely with the Scottish Parliament and the Senedd, the Welsh Parliament, according to The Guardian. The remarks came after talks in Glasgow on 30 October 2026.

Devolution means handing powers from the UK Parliament at Westminster to bodies closer to local communities. The Glasgow meeting was convened to discuss devolving more powers to regions and cities, including over local employment and reindustrialisation, the effort to rebuild industrial activity in an area. Burnham, who was mayor of Greater Manchester before becoming prime minister, met First Minister John Swinney of Scotland and First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth of Wales.

Swinney said Burnham had assured him that he will not bypass the Scottish Parliament when devolving more powers. Ap Iorwerth said he had reiterated to Burnham that further devolution within Wales is a matter for the Senedd and only the Senedd. He also said he pressed Burnham on the Welsh government's wish for more powers.

Before the summit, Defence Secretary Wes Streeting criticised Swinney's government, accusing it of hoarding powers acquired from Westminster rather than devolving them further.

Burnham said he hoped all four UK nations would move at the same pace on devolution. He cited measures in Wednesday's budget on regional devolution and on giving mayors in England more powers over tax revenues. Speaking after the meeting, he said "no nation left behind". Downing Street described the talks with Swinney and ap Iorwerth as constructive.

Wales has its own tensions with the government. Plaid Cymru won May's Senedd elections and has formally asked Burnham to give Wales the same devolved powers as Scotland. Before the summit, ap Iorwerth said Burnham's first budget showed the prime minister was "not serious about Wales". The Welsh government had said the budget amounted to a real-terms funding cut for Wales.

Northern Ireland was also expected at the Glasgow summit. First Minister Michelle O'Neill did not attend, after a political row between Sinn Fein and the DUP, the Democratic Unionist Party. Burnham said it was "disappointing" that she was not there.

Ap Iorwerth was also scheduled to take part in the National Economic Council and to hold a separate bilateral meeting with the prime minister, according to the Welsh Government.