The Prime Minister and Heads of Devolved Governments Council (informally referred to as The Council) is an intergovernmental body within the United Kingdom. The council acts as the main body for the heads of governments of the member nations to consider issues of common interests across each country, as well as providing strategic direction for wider intergovernmental relations.
Its membership includes Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and the United Kingdom itself, and is attended by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the First Minister of Scotland, the First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland and the First Minister of Wales, with other politicians from each of its member nations attending the council if necessary when discussing specific issues, such as economic policy.
History
In 1999, devolved administrations were created in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland by the United Kingdom parliament. Initially a Joint Ministerial Committee system was created in 1999 by Tony Blair's Labour UK government to coordinate relationships between the three new governments and the UK government.
In 2022, following a review into intergovernmental relations in the UK, the present tiered system of governance was put in place. The tiered structure includes a Prime Minister and Heads of Devolved Governments Council as a top tier, portfolio-specific interministerial standing committees as a middle tier, and topic-based intergovernmental groups as the lower tier.
Operation Responsibilities
The council is responsible for: Discussing UK-level policies that require cooperation. Overseeing the other government organisations and mechanisms within the tiers of intergovernmental relations. Acting as final arbiter for the UK dispute resolution mechanism.
Secretariat
The Prime Minister and Heads of Devolved Governments Council consists of a Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat as well as a number of supporting staff who are accountable to all members of the council, rather than to individual governments. The Secretariat acts on an impartial basis and acts equally, meaning all governments represented on the council are equal to each other. All day–to–day business of the council is managed by the Secretariat and senior officials, including the location and dates for meetings of the council.
Membership The members of the council are the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the First Minister of Scotland, the First Minister of Wales and the First and deputy First Ministers of Northern Ireland. Additionally, other ministers from the UK government may participate in meetings of the council, in particular the Minister for Intergovernmental Relations who commonly attends with the Prime Minister. In the absence of a Northern Ireland Executive, officials from the Northern Ireland Civil Service have participated in an observer capacity.
Government Representative(s) Title HM Government Andy Burnham Prime Minister Scottish Government John Swinney First Minister Welsh Government Rhun ap Iorwerth First MinisterNorthern Ireland Executive Michelle O'Neill First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly Deputy First Minister
Meetings The council met for the first time in November 2022 chaired by Rishi Sunak. No further meetings were held until after the 2024 United Kingdom general election when newly elected prime minister Keir Starmer convened a meeting in October 2024. Starmer stated that the council would meet again in Spring 2025. List of meetings
Meetings of the Prime Minister and Heads of Devolved Governments CouncilDateLocation Chair10 November 2022BlackpoolRishi Sunak11 October 2024EdinburghKeir Starmer23 May 2025LondonKeir Starmer
Complementary bodies The Council of the Nations and Regions was established in October 2024. This forum is intended to complement rather than replace the existing system of intergovernmental relations between the UK's four governments.
See also Intergovernmental relations in the United Kingdom List of current heads of government in the United Kingdom and dependencies Council of the Nations and Regions
References
External links GOV.UK: Intergovernmental Relations