THE First Minister has hit out at Tory legislation which will break international law – calling it a “full-frontal assault on devolution”.

Ministers are adding new laws that re-interpret the withdrawal treaty to the Internal Market Bill, due to be tabled in the Commons today.

The legislation, which has been branded a “power grab” on Holyrood by the Scottish Government, aims to ensure goods from any UK nation can have unfettered access to any other nation.

Tories have made clear they want to change state aid rules agreed as part of the Northern Ireland protocol, intended to prevent a return to checks at the Irish Border.

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The Northern Ireland Secretary admitted yesterday that the legislation “breaks international law in a very specific and limited way”.

But there are also fears that devolved areas could be under threat from the legislation, such as food safety, minimum pricing, environmental policy and animal health and welfare.

Health campaigners, farmers and groups across Scotland have already set out their opposition to the plans. The Scottish Parliament has overwhelmingly voted to reject the proposals by 92 votes to 31.

Constitution Secretary Michael Russell warned in July: “Every single power that the Scottish Parliament has can be undermined and taken away by these proposals. Every single one.”

This morning, before the new laws could be tabled in the Commons, Nicola Sturgeon took aim at the legislation.

READ MORE: Tories admit they're going to break law 'in limited way' with Brexit power grab

The First Minister wrote on Twitter: “The Internal Market Bill that the UK Government will publish today is a full-frontal assault on devolution.

“And to the usual ‘but the SNP would say that’ voices, read the Welsh Government view below, rightly referring to the Bill ‘stealing’ powers from the devolved govts …

“At forthcoming @ScotParl elections, @theSNP will make case for independence. And more and more this is not about independence v the status quo of devolution. It’s about independence as the only way to protect the Scottish Parliament from being undermined and its powers eroded.

“And added to all of the above, this is a Bill that, by the government’s own admission, breaks international law. This UK gov is the most reckless (& to make it worse, incompetently so) and unprincipled in my lifetime. Scotland can do better and we will have that choice.”

The Welsh government’s Counsel General, Jeremy Miles, has said the UK Government “plans to sacrifice the future of the Union by stealing powers from devolved administrations”.

He said this morning: “This bill is an attack on democracy and an affront to the people of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, who have voted in favour of devolution on numerous occasions.”

He added: “The UK Government is explicitly seeking to rewrite the devolution settlement. The fact that they are also seeking primary legislation shows they are taking those powers from us.

“We believe in the principle of an internal market – but this bill is not remotely necessary to deliver it.

“We will do everything we can to challenge the power grab and the race to the bottom which this bill represents.”