Sink the fish deal!
Scots Tories warn Theresa May not to help Brussels betray our trawlermen
THERESA May yesterday confronted a growing party rebellion by insisting Brexit will help ‘rebuild our fishing industry’.
The Prime Minister had to tackle the backlash after Scots MP Ross Thomson demanded she stand up to Brussels and ‘take back control’ of Britain’s waters from next year.
She also faces a legal battle after MSPs last night voted to approve the SNP’s own Brexit legislation. It is expected to end up in the Supreme Court.
Mrs May hit back after the decision to force fishermen to endure nearly two more years of EU quotas sparked a major backlash from Scots Tory MPs.
Yesterday, Aberdeen South MP Mr Thomson threw fish into the Thames outside the Houses of Parliament alongside other pro-Brexit MPs, including Jacob Rees-Mogg, in protest.
Mrs May was challenged by Nationalist MP Drew Hendry, who said the transition deal was the worst possible arrangement for Scottish fishermen.
She replied: ‘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.
‘I want to see three things: 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.
‘But it is the Conservative Party that is committed to coming out of the Common Fisheries Policy; the honourable gentleman’s party wants to stay in the Common Fisheries Policy.’
Mr Thomson later joined in sending a scathing letter to Mrs May, saying the CFP was a ‘calamity’ for the UK’s fishing communities.
The letter, signed by 14 MPs, including Scots Tories Colin Clark and Alister Jack, said: ‘This is economic madness for the UK. It is also an injustice, which many who voted Leave expect to see remedied when the UK leaves the EU, particularly in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, whose coastal waters contain such a high proportion of the UK’s fishing resources.’
It added that, while it is ‘understandable’ the EU would try to frustrate negotiations, the demands are ‘completely unacceptable and would be rejected by the House of Commons.’
In the Scottish parliament, MSPs voted 95-32 to back the Scottish Government’s Brexit legislation, the Continuity Bill, despite the Presiding Officer ruling it was not within its ‘competence’.
The decision sets up a new legal battle, with the UK Government expected to take the issue to the Supreme Court, which will rule if the Scottish parliament had the power to pass the legislation.
The Holyrood legislation claims all powers in devolved areas will return automatically to Holyrood when Britain leaves the EU.
But UK ministers insisted they will continue to seek agreement on their EU (Withdrawal) Bill.
Following the Holyrood vote, a
‘Completely unacceptable’
UK Government spokesman said: ‘Our focus continues to be on finding an agreed way forward with the devolved administrations on the EU (Withdrawal) Bill.
‘Everyone agrees that this is the preferred option. As with all Scottish parliament Bills, the competence of the Continuity Bill will be considered by the Law Officers.’