Council of Nations tackles challenge of UK power-sharing

Sir Keir Starmer is due to chair the first-ever meeting of a new Council of the Nations and Regions in Edinburgh on Friday.

It brings the prime minister together with the leaders of the devolved governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as England’s mayors.

Power sharing between the different governments of the UK was bound to cause a degree of tension.

Anyone who thought that would always be a creative and constructive force was probably idealistic, if not naive.

There have been some spectacular rows between the devolved administrations and UK departments over the years.

Fights about funding are probably the most common and sometimes ministers in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast have teamed up to make joint representations to the Treasury in London.

At other times, the struggles have been about where power lies and whether or not that should change.