A chance for the devolved leaders to relay their views to the PM

Since the moment she talked to the nation outside Downing Street, Theresa May has sought to make clear her commitment to the entirety of the UK.
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Her determination to do this is rooted in the knowledge that the Union is in peril, most obviously with regard to Scotland.

While it is encouraging that the UK-wide majority for Brexit on June 23 has not yet led to any noticeable increase in support for Scottish separatism, it is still possible that such an increase in nationalism will happen there.

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In Northern Ireland, Brexit has been met with a furious response from nationalist parties, but polling here also shows only a small rise in support for a split from the UK.

However, Brexit is still some distance from happening, and its exact form remains far from clear.

Mrs May has now said that she plans to involve Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in regular formal talks on the process of the EU departure. The prime minister will host the leaders of the devolved administrations in those three countries today when she chairs the Joint Ministerial Committee, a consultative body that brings them together.

The three countries only make up less than a fifth of the population of the UK, but the challenges that they face are disproportionate to their number.

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The pace or shape of Brexit will not be dictated by the devolved administrations, but our voices are a further part of the mix. Extricating Britain from the EU is a highly complex manoeuvre that needs much thought and preparation.

The Scottish want reassurance, in the aftermath of their 62% vote for Remain, but so too do unionists in Northern Ireland – there is every prospect of a hard border in the Irish Sea given that London will not want to enrage nationalists with a hard land border.

Today’s meeting will be an opportunity for relaying frank views to the highest level of government.