Edinburgh talks for First Ministers of Wales and Scotland

Carwyn Jones will be in Edinburgh today for his first major meeting with Nicola Sturgeon since she became First Minister of Scotland. The two leaders will aim to forge an alliance to influence the UK Government on matters affecting Wales and Scotland. They'll also try to rebuild a relationship between the two governments which was damaged during last year's independence referendum.

The two have held brief private talks on the fringes of other inter-governmental meetings, but today's is the first chance for a a major 'bilateral' discussion. And despite their political differences, there's much the they can agree on.

They've both expressed their opposition to the UK Government's plan to repeal the Human Rights Act and both are concerned about the implications of a forthcoming referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union.

In short they're worried that the UK could leave the EU even if majorities in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland vote to remain.

However, while Nicola Sturgeon has said the nations should have an effective veto, a 'double majority' or 'double lock' in the jargon, Carwyn Jones has said that such a lock would be 'legally difficult' because a referendum will be a vote of a member state, not its separate parts.

He's sympathetic though and says that such an outcome would cause 'immense problems for Wales.'

Carwyn Jones also has an interest in whatever Nicola Sturgeon plans to push for in terms of further devolution.

While ministers in Cardiff Bay and at Westminster insist that the two countries are at different stages of the devolution journey and that decisions about that devolution are being taken separately, there's no doubt that proposals for Scotland will shape proposals for Wales.

All of this explains why the two First Ministers will be glad to use today's meeting as a new start for their respective governments.

Carwyn Jones and Alex Salmond had formed an effective alliance putting pressure on the UK Government when their interests coincided. However, relations soured after the Welsh First Minister joined the 'No' campaign in last year's independence referendum so much so that during the last months of his term Alex Salmond refused an invitation to hold talks in Cardiff.

Nicola Sturgeon, though, is a very different character as Political commentator Valerie Livingston of News Direct Wales told me. As she explains in the clip below, she thinks today's talks offer Carwyn Jones an opportunity to build a powerful new alliance to force the UK Government to treat Wales with greater respect.