Boris Johnson to meet Mark Drakeford to discuss UK's Covid recovery
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will host a meeting with the leaders of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland today.
The aim is to discuss how they may work together to assist every part from the United Kingdom recover from the Covid pandemic and make back better across the whole country.
The Pm wrote to Mark Drakeford, Nicola Sturgeon and Arlene Foster following the elections in Scotland and Wales asking them to join a meeting to look at the challenges facing Covid recovery. The meeting was because of be held last week but was delayed following the Welsh and Scottish Governments said they wanted a detailed agenda and agreement on what outcomes they were hoping to achieve. The letter said they wanted a "meaningful discussion with substantive outcomes, and not simply a PR exercise", and for officials to operate together to "allow for an infinitely more meaningful exercise".
The meeting will require put on the afternoon of Thursday, June 3. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor from the Duchy of Lancaster, Michael Gove, and also the Secretaries of State for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales will attend from the UK Government. The First Ministers and Deputy First Ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are invited.
The UK Government said that while the areas facing a few of the toughest comebacks were devolved, there have been "common challenges".
"By working together and sharing experiences, each can learn from the other and deliver better outcomes for families across the UK," an argument reads.
Your cabinet Office said the UK Government was undertaking "detailed work" concerning the scale of recovery, which may be shared with the devolved nations.
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"Throughout the pandemic, the UK Government and devolved administrations been employed by closely together, at official and ministerial level with dozens of meetings every month. This has been illustrated in the UK's world-leading vaccine rollout. The united kingdom Government used its purchasing power to procure vaccines at scale for the whole UK, and health authorities over the UK rolled out receiving the jabs. The British Armed Forces played an important supporting role across the country. Everyone, in most areas of the united kingdom, has benefited," continued the statement.
"The best Minister will suggest that this close joint working and spirit of cooperation continues in the months and years ahead, as we begin the process of creating a sustainable recovery."
Mr Gove said: “I am delighted the leaders from the devolved administrations all responded positively towards the Prime Minister's invitation to become listed on this important meeting on Covid recovery. Throughout the pandemic, we have worked together to prevent the spread of the virus and to roll out lifesaving vaccines. Our joint success has shown the world what we should is capable of as a United Kingdom.
"We must go ahead and take same method of the difficult challenge of rebuilding our economy and public services from the damaging impact of Covid-19. It won't be a quick or easy job, but we will all fare better when we face the task together."
