Scots Tories urged to defy BoJo fishing bill
SCOTTISH Tories have been challenged to back an SNP bid to give Scottish Ministers a say on international fishing negotiations after Brexit.
The SNP has demanded the six Scottish Tory MPs back a change to the Fisheries Bill in the Commons this week to give the Scottish Government a role in setting quotas.
Deidre Brock MP, the SNP Rural Affairs spokeswoman, said the nationalists would set the Fisheries Bill as the first test for new Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross.
She said: “For once, rather than blindly following Boris Johnson through the voting lobbies, it’s time the six Scottish Tory MPs stood up for Scotland and the worldrenowned fishing industry.
“This Fisheries Bill was supposed to be a flagship piece of post-Brexit legislation from the UK Government.
Instead, it opens the door to devastating tariffs and fails to detail how crucial EU funding will be replaced after Brexit.”
But Ross claimed the SNP would sell out Scottish fishermen to Brussels, saying: “They would rather bow down to Brussels than hand power back to fishermen and communities across Scotland.
“The UK is becoming an independent coastal state and taking back control of our waters, while the SNP are desperate to sell out our fishermen.”
The Moray MP said if the SNP voted against the Fisheries Bill that provides the framework for the sector after Brexit, it would be a “slap in the face” to the industry.
The Scottish Government has already raised concerns about the Bill, with Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing warning Scotland could lose out if devolved nations are shut out of talks.