Whisky bosses urge MPs to support May’s deal

WHISKY industry chiefs are urging politicians to back Theresa May’s Brexit deal.

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) warned that failure to support the plan will cause ‘continued uncertainty’ and increase the risk of the UK crashing out of the EU without a deal.

The comments send a direct warning to MPs voting on the withdrawal agreement next week.

The SWA joins organisations including Scottish Financial Enterprise, the Scottish Council for Development and Industry, the National Farmers Union, the Freight Transport Association, Universities Scotland and the General Medical Council in supporting the deal.

Today at Holyrood, Labour, Lib Dem and Green MSPs look set to back an SNP motion which states the deal will be ‘damaging’ to Scotland. The motion will be rejected by all 31 Conservative MSPs.

Scottish Tory constitution spokesman Adam Tomkins said: ‘We know what the SNP and Greens are trying to do with this needless debate – they want to use it to manufacture yet more grievance as part of their push for a second independence referendum.

‘That Labour and the Liberal Democrats have once again fallen into line with the Nationalists is disappointing but hardly surprising.

‘It’s a choice they’ve taken at every step since the Brexit referendum was held.’