New forum for talks between leaders from across UK

The leaders of the devolved administrations last met with Boris Johnson at the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is to chair a new forum for talks with the leaders of the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The new system replaces the Joint Ministerial Committee, which was rarely convened by Mr Johnson.

It will include a council comprising the first ministers and Mr Johnson, and sub-groups to discuss finance and other topics affecting the whole country.

Mr Johnson said it would help ministers to "deliver for the British people".

The UK government said the new structure would "create a more equal, transparent and accountable system to support collaboration and information sharing" between the administrations.

It said the "landmark agreement" would see Mr Johnson chair meetings of the leaders of the governments in London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.

A second tier will include two standing committees, one focused on finance and another chaired by intergovernmental relations minister Michael Gove.

Meanwhile a third tier will be made up of ministerial groups led by individual government departments covering "a wide range of policy issues".

Mr Gove said: "By working together even more effectively, we can better overcome the challenges we face, create greater opportunities and improve people's lives for the better."

Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford welcomed the new structure, saying it had been "strengthened" after his government raised concerns about an earlier draft.

Meanwhile Scotland's Deputy First Minister John Swinney said that a "re-branding of existing structures will not deliver the step change in attitude and behaviour from the UK government that is needed if there is to be a genuine improvement in intergovernmental relations".