What is Sir Keir Starmer's Council of Nations and Regions and will it improve Scottish Government relations?

Three days ahead of the International Investment Summit, the Council will focus its debut event on investment to benefit the whole of the UK.

It also now has a new key member, after the Prime Minister chief of staff Sue Gray was removed and appointed envoy for the nations and regions.

The role is yet to be publicly defined, but the Government has insisted clarity will come shortly.

But away from the turmoil of Downing Street, how will the council work and what will it aim to achieve?

Who will sit on the Council of the Nations and Regions?

An entirely new body, the council will involve the first ministers of the three devolved administrations and replace the joint ministerial councils, which previously operated and brought ministers from Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast together with UK government ministers.

Sir Keir has described this new group as “a proper council”. He confirmed he had raised the prospect with First Minister John Swinney when they met in Edinburgh less than 48 hours after Labour’s seismic election win in July.

What has the council been set up?

Speaking to journalists in Downing Street, the Prime Minister said: “A proper council, where Scotland is properly represented by the First Minister in a formal setting with me and the other first ministers, meeting on a regular basis, where we can look at challenges and opportunities together.

“Yes, there are political differences between the two governments, but I want to work to deliver for Scotland with anybody who will work with me in that endeavour.”

What is the aim of the council?

Downing Street views this new body as a way to collaborate closer with the devolved administrations, and “reset” relations after years of bitterness between the Tories in Westminster and the SNP in Holyrood.

Officials from both the UK and Scottish governments describe the relationship between the two already being better, telling The Scotsman it feels like there is more respect.

How with the Council of the Nations and Regions work?

While few details have provided as to how the new body will work, the concept appears to come from Gordon Brown’s Commission on the UK’s Future.

Published in 2022, the report said the UK needed “a new and powerful institution to drive co-operation between all its governments – a Council of Nations and Regions”.

The commission said: “This should be a statutory body, explicitly linked to the requirement for co-operation in the solidarity clause, with an independent secretariat which has the power to call meetings and set agendas.

“It would not be a wholly new body, but an upgraded version of the Joint Ministerial Committee, and should therefore draw upon existing staffing and resources.

“It would be tasked with managing relations between the UK government and the Commission on the UK’s Future devolved administrations, with an internal structure able to develop over time, especially as English devolution grows.”

Meetings of the body are expected to include the Prime Minister, the leaders of the devolved nations, as well as mayors such as London mayor Sadiq Khan, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, and Liverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotheram.

In July, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner pledged to kickstart a new devolution revolution to transfer more powers out of Westminster and into the hands of local people.

When is the first meeting?

Leaders will meet in Scotland on Friday October 11 for the very first convening of the council.

Three days ahead of the International Investment Summit, the first Council will focus on investment and growth and is a key moment to ensure everyone is collectively playing their part to maximise the opportunity the Summit presents for the whole of the UK.

The Council brings together First Ministers, Northern Ireland’s First Minister and Deputy First Minister and regional Mayors from across England, as the UK Government forges new partnerships, resets relationships and seizes the opportunity to secure long term investment with the aim of boosting growth and living standards in every part of the UK.

The Prime Minister said: “I’m determined to bring forward a new era of stability, trust, and partnership with businesses, investors, Devolved Governments, and local leaders to boost the economy and restore the UK’s reputation one of the best places in the world to do business.

“I’ve set out that we will be doing things differently, and that’s exactly why we are delivering our promise to convene the first Council of the Nations and Regions as we work as one team to maximise opportunities ahead of the Investment Summit.

“No more talking shops of the past. Genuine, meaningful, and focused partnership to change the way we do business, redefine our position on the world’s stage, and unlock the whole of the UK’s untapped potential to make everyone, everywhere better off.”

What has the Scottish Government said about the council?

The Scottish Government has appeared to welcome the announcement, saying they welcome the opportunity for a reset.

Scotland’s Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson said: “We look forward to more details on the formation of the council and welcome the opportunity for a reset in relations between the UK and Scottish governments.

“The Scottish Government is ready to work with the new UK government to agree a collaborative, co-operative approach to intergovernmental relations, which respects devolution and all of the powers of the Scottish Parliament.”

Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group, M&G plc, Octopus Energy and TSL Group are all sponsoring the first meeting.