Tory Government plans to ‘modernise’ constitution says Michael Gove

The UK Government plans to “modernise” the constitution following Brexit according to Michael Gove, who is heading a team to stop the break up the Union.

The comments from the Cabinet Office minister come following a warning by YesCymru that “Westminster is coming for devolution” after Jacob Rees-Mogg pledged to “undo” it last month.

Mr Gove told the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee that “we do need to look at every part” of the current constitutional arrangement “to make sure that it is fit for purpose”.

The minister said that the UK Government would be “saying a wee bit more early in the new year about some other ways we can modernise the constitution”.

He added that there was ongoing work in government looking at “for some time, as part of the broader constitutional renovation work, how to improve the way the UK Government works with all the administrations in the UK”.

It was revealed in October that Gove had set up a Union defence team in a bid to quash the rising support for Welsh and Scottish independence seen in recent polls.

 

‘Constitutional tinkering’

The Conservative MP for North East Somerset, and Leader of the House of Commons, took a swipe at what he called “constitutional tinkering” that had “helped divide the United Kingdom” on the floor of the House of Commons.

Hedge fund co-founder Rees-Mogg said: “The last Labour Government decided to take a wrecking ball to our constitution and made a bit of a muddle with it. Some of their most foolish interventions were their constitutional blunders, which were out of step with many centuries of our parliamentary democracy.

“Blairite constitutional tinkering has wakened our parliament and has helped divide the United Kingdom and I hope this Government finds an effective way of restoring our constitution to its proper form.”

In response to this, grassroots pro independence group YesCymru said: “Dear @fmwales & @WelshGovernment. Heed this Victorian throwback’s words. Westminster is coming for our devolution. The answer is independence.

“Wales can’t wait for some kind of quasi-federalist fantasy. The Tories are coming for us, and they’ll take *everything*.”