UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham met First Minister of Scotland John Swinney and First Minister of Wales Rhun ap Iorwerth in Glasgow on Friday, 30 October. The announcement was published by the Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street.
According to the announcement, the Prime Minister offered the governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland a new partnership. The aim is for more decisions to be made not only by the parliaments in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, but further down – by regions, cities and local communities, which know best what they need.
The meeting was the first session of the National Economic Council with the UK’s nations. On the agenda:
- opportunities for young people,
- rebuilding industry (reindustrialisation),
- more power for the regions – as part of the No10 North programme.
The Prime Minister called on the nations to put politics aside and work together, describing this as the next stage of devolution.
— summary of the 10 Downing Street announcement of 30 October 2026 (TBT)
The meeting followed the Prime Minister’s announcement that the government will invest £1 billion over four years in innovation clusters in regions with high potential. Earlier this week the Chancellor presented the Budget, which – Downing Street stresses – maintains funding for public services run by the governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
What this means for you
For Poles in Scotland and Wales, this is a signal that some economic decisions – on investment, training and jobs – may in future be taken closer to home, in regions and cities. For now this is an offer and an announcement, not new legislation. Nothing changes overnight in taxes or benefits.
Our view
This is the right direction, especially for Scotland, where many Poles run small businesses. Moving decisions closer to people usually means faster and better-targeted investment. The outcome, however, will depend on real money and on whether Edinburgh, Cardiff and London actually reach agreement across political divides.
What to do
- Read the full announcement on GOV.UK.
- If you run a business in Scotland, follow support programmes on the Scottish Enterprise website.
Source: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street (GOV.UK), 30.10.2026.
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