Internal Market Act slammed by SNP and expert figures following Holyrood inquiry

The reaction comes ahead of a debate in the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday as fierce criticism is expected across the chamber.

The act prevents devolved nations from barring goods produced in another from being sold within their borders, even if those goods do not meet that nation's standards. 

This has been done in a bid to regulate trade between the four nations of the UK in the aftermath of Brexit. 

READ MORE: UK Government's Brexit Internal Market Act 'undermines devolution', MSPs conclude

The act itself has drawn the ire of politicians from a range of parties, with the Labour First Minister of Wales describing it as a “smash and grab” on the devolution settlement. 

It has also been condemned by a range of expert figures in business, industry, farming, teaching, and the environment: 

• Onekind, a Scottish animal welfare charity, said that the act “undermines devolution and will limit the ability to the Scottish Parliament and Government to improve farmed animal welfare standards”.
• Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems says the act “could create risks for the integrity of the existing devolution settlement”. 
• Professor Kenneth A Armstrong, professor of European law, at the University of Cambridge said it “places too much emphasis on market liberalisation over local rights to regulate”. 
• The Institute for Government said the act “has fewer and much more narrowly defined exemptions, and therefore places new constraints on the governments of the UK.” 
• Professor Stephen Weatherill, Emeritus Jacques Delors Professor of European Law, at the University of Oxford said it “contains a structural bias in favour of market access, and against local regulatory culture”.
• Professor Nicola McEwen at the University of Edinburgh, commented: “[the act] arguably creates a powerful disincentive to engage in legal reform or policy innovation, in response to changing social and economic [preferences].” 

The SNP have also called out Scottish Conservative MSPs for choosing to “defend Boris Johnson’s Tory Government’s blatant power grab on Holyrood, rather than stand up for devolution”. 

READ MORE: Boris Johnson 'undermining' Scottish Government with 'authority' jibe

Alasdair Allan came out to criticise the act in the wake of the committee's findings

Commenting SNP committee member, Alasdair Allan MSP said: "The Tories' disrespect for democracy in Scotland is glaringly obvious which is not hard to believe given we have a Prime Minister who has branded devolution as 'a disaster'. 

"This Internal Market Act is a blatant power grab on Holyrood - using something Scotland overwhelmingly voted against, Brexit, to undermine something Scotland overwhelmingly voted for, devolution. 

"Organisations across Scotland – in business, industry, farming, teaching, and the environment – have made it crystal clear that the Act is unacceptable and even the House of Lords has torn the Bill apart for the attack on the devolution settlement. 

"It's clear that when Boris Johnson and the Tories speak about 'taking back control' they didn't just mean from the EU – they want to rip powers away from Scotland too. 

"With a Tory government intent on ignoring Scotland and trashing the foundations of devolution, independence is the only way to uphold Scotland’s democracy."