13:02

Nicola Sturgeon has written to Theresa May today to say the Scottish government will not support a compromise deal on sharing post-Brexit powers with the UK government, after she apparently vetoed a new offer over the weekend.

UK and Welsh government officials were preparing for a joint ministerial meeting involving Scottish ministers in London today where they hoped all three governments would sign an agreement for UK-wide common frameworks on sharing 24 EU powers after Brexit.

UK ministers have until tomorrow to table an amendment to clause 11 of the EU withdrawal bill in the Lords, before a Lords debate on 2 May, which includes a series of significant concessions by May’s government.

Clause 11 sets out the three administrations, and the Northern Irish government, would control or share 153 EU powers over areas such as farming, fisheries, food labelling and state aid. Under the current proposal, only 24 of those powers would be shared at UK level, with 12 reserved to Whitehall.

Sturgeon’s officials said that Mike Russell, the Scottish Brexit minister, would make a detailed statement at Holyrood at about 2.20pm on Wednesday to explain why the latest compromise had been rejected. UK officials believe Russell was ready to sign the agreement, only to be overruled by Sturgeon over the weekend.

Speaking after the Scottish cabinet were told the deal was being rejected, Sturgeon’s spokesman said: “I don’t recognise that description. We are continuing to engage seriously; to talk seriously” about a deal.