The United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 - What It Means

14th February 2021

The Institute for government has produce a paper explaining the Act.

The United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020, which became law on 17 December 2020, will govern the trading relationship between the nations of the UK.

But there has been strong opposition from the Scottish and Welsh governments. The internal market will have significant implications for the governments, parliaments, regulators, courts and businesses in all parts of the UK, and concerns have been raised about its implications for devolved policy making.

This paper sets out what the Act will mean and what steps the UK government needs to take to manage the UK internal market and ensure it works in the long-term.

These include:

Establishing trust in the Office for the Internal Market, the new body responsible for overseeing the functioning of the UK internal market

Clarifying how the market access principles, which are tended to prevent the emergence of trade barriers within the UK, will be enforced

Creating a joined-up approach to the UK internal market to manage regulatory divergence between the four nations

Facilitating parliamentary scrutiny arrangements for the UK internal market

Considering how the long-term implications for devolution will be assessed.

Download the 31 page document HERE