Sink the fish deal!
Tories threaten Brexit rebellion over letting EU control our waters till 2020
MORE than a dozen Tory MPs are threatening to rebel over the ‘unacceptable’ Brexit fishing deal.
Under the terms of the so- called transition period, Britain will in effect remain in the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) until the end of 2020.
Yesterday it emerged that 13 Tories and one DUP MP, mostly from coastal seats, have written to Theresa May warning they could vote down the Brexit withdrawal agreement unless she changed course.
It came as the Prime Minister was given a Brexit boost when Spain backed down from threats to block the agreement over Gibraltar. The breakthrough was unveiled by European Council president Donald Tusk, who described it as ‘good news’ for Mrs May as she arrives in Brussels for a crunch summit today.
Seeking to reassure the fishing rebels last night, Mrs May insisted she would structure the final deal so Britain can rebuild its fishing industry.
She told the Commons that thanks to Brexit ‘we will take back control of our waters, we will ensure that we do not see British fishermen unfairly denied access to other waters, and we want to rebuild our fishing industry’.
Her comments came as several rebel Tories joined a fishing protest on the Thames near Parliament.
Jacob Rees Mogg, the chairman of the European Research Group of Eurosceptic Conservative MPs, met a fishing boat carrying supporters of the Fishing For Leave campaign group.
Ministerial aide Anne-Marie Trevelyan said her constituents were ‘completely bemused’ by the deal. The Brexiteer said the transition deal could ‘destroy’ fishermen’s livelihoods if EU leaders made changes to the CFP next year.
However, the event descended into farce after the boat was unable to moor at Embankment Pier because organisers had not secured permission. Instead, the Holladays R8 stopped in Westminster, where former Ukip leader Nigel Farage got on board and threw fish in the river in protest at the transition deal.
Mrs May is hoping the terms will be signed off at a meeting of EU leaders for the European Council summit in Brussels beginning today, clearing the way for talks on post-Brexit trade.
But 14 MPs, including Mr Rees-Mogg, said the transition proposals would not win the support of the Commons. They argued that Mrs May should indicate her intention to take back control of the 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone and state that ‘UK national fisheries resources are not negotiable’ from next year.
At Prime Minister’s Questions, Mrs May batted off suggestions from the SNP that she had secured the ‘worst deal imaginable’.
‘We will be working with the fishing industry, both fishermen and fish processors, to ensure that we do see a bright future for the fishing industry,’ she said.
On the Gibraltar issue yesterday, Mr Tusk said: ‘I have some good news for Theresa May, news that has been awaited in London but also in the all other EU capitals. I have just recommended that we welcome, in principle, the agreement on transition.’
The Brussels chief calmed tensions with Spain by ensuring that Madrid’s pre- existing ability to veto a Brexit deal without a separate agreement on the future of Gibraltar will be reconfirmed at this week’s summit.
While the transition deal will be welcomed by the UK, diplomats revealed that EU leaders will use the summit to plot a way of forcing Mrs May to scrap her plans for moves including leaving the single market. EU leaders are due to discuss their ‘tactics’ when they meet tomorrow after Mrs May leaves the summit tonight.
Stephen Glover: Page 19