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Intergovernmental activity update: Q2 2025

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SPICe has published a new quarterly intergovernmental activity update, which covers quarter 2 (April to June) of 2025.

In addition, SPICe has published a one-off briefing reviewing the UK Government’s commitment to ‘reset’ relations with the devolved Governments one year on from the 2024 UK General Election.

Intergovernmental activity update

‘Intergovernmental activity’ refers to work between governments – in a Scottish context between the Scottish Government and the UK Government or other devolved administrations. It can include discussions on areas of mutual interest, policy development, and policy implementation.

Read a previous SPICe blog that sets out why awareness of intergovernmental activity is an essential element of parliamentary scrutiny after EU exit and visit our intergovernmental activity hub to find out more about intergovernmental work happening in different policy areas.

SPICe’s quarterly intergovernmental activity updates collate information on intergovernmental meetings, Common Frameworks, exclusions to the market access principles of the UK Internal Market Act 2020, and legislative consent at the Scottish Parliament. You can find previous quarterly updates on the SPICe intergovernmental activity hub.

Our highlights infographic gives an overview of activity that has taken place over quarter 2 of 2025. 

The image shows that five interministerial meetings took place in the first quarter of 2025. It shows that one common framework has been finalised, 22 have been published provisionally, and three have not yet been published. It shows that nine legislative consent motions were approved (with one giving only partial approval) and seven legislative consent memorandums were lodged. It shows that two UK Internal Market Act exclusions are operating, and that one exclusion has been agreed in principle but is not yet operational.

Read the full quarter 2 2025 intergovernmental activity update to find individual infographics and more information about intergovernmental activity that took place in different policy areas during the previous quarter. 

Intergovernmental relations ‘reset’

At the UK General Election held in July 2024, the Labour Party said that it would “reset the UK Government’s relationship with devolved Governments in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland”. This followed a period when tensions had emerged between the then Conservative UK administration and the devolved Governments, in particular following the UK’s exit from the European Union (EU).

The new SPICe briefing examines developments relevant to this commitment that have taken place over the UK Labour Government’s first year in office, focusing particularly on intergovernmental relations between the UK and Scottish Governments. The briefing:

  • outlines relevant commitments made by the Labour Party ahead of the 2024 UK General Election
  • sets out what Ministers from both Governments have said about the ‘reset’ since the UK Labour Government was formed
  • reviews intergovernmental activity, developments in devolution, and examples of policy collaboration and disagreement between the two Governments over this period, and
  • highlights developments that may continue to affect relations between the two Governments ahead of next year’s Scottish Parliament elections.

The following timeline gives an overview of key developments over this period.

The graphic shows a timeline of developments in relations between the UK and Scottish Governments between July 2024 and July 2025, focusing on both policy collaboration and intergovernmental activity.

Read the briefing in full on the Scottish Parliament website.

Duncan Sim, SPICe Research