SNP will pledge to protect food and drink industry

Party will also outline plans to protect EU nationals in Scotland

The SNP manifesto will outline plans to protect Scotland’s food and drink sector from the harmful knock-on effects of Brexit, The Courier can reveal.

When they launch their election blueprint in Perth today they will say plans to leave the European single market, Scotland’s biggest overseas regional food and drink market, will do huge damage and threaten the global success of the £14.4 billion industry.

The manifesto will argue for the right of EU nationals to remain in the UK to be guaranteed to protect the 8,000 EU citizens living in Scotland who work in the food and drink sector.

It will also recognise the role up to 15,000 seasonal migrant workers play every year in harvesting Scotland’s soft fruit and vegetables in places like Angus and Perthshire.

The document will also call for future trade deals to secure geographical indications for key food and drink products like Scotch whisky, Arbroath smokies and Stornoway black pudding.

Angus Robertson, the SNP depute leader said: “SNP MPs will stand against Tory plans to drag Scotland out of the European single market, our biggest overseas regional food and drink market, and we will press the UK Government to guarantee the rights of EU nationals to protect the workforce of our thriving food and drink sector.

“While Tory MPs view key Scottish industries as expendable and would simply rubber-stamp Theresa May’s damaging plans whatever the cost, SNP MPs will always stand stronger for Scotland – pushing for the best deal for our dairy farmers, our fishing industry, our Scotch whiskyproducersandthemanyothervital parts of our food and drink sector.”

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson argued the SNP is failing to reflect the public mood.

Speaking after taking part in an offroad driving experience in Perthshire, she said: “A lot is changing in Scottish politics and I think Nicola Sturgeon has been caught out, rather, by the changing mood in the country that she hasn’t picked up on. She started this campaign saying she was going to put independence at the heart of it for the SNP.

“She tries as hard as possible not to talk about it any more because she knows that’s not popular in the country.”

Picture: PA. Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson believes Nicola Sturgeon has misjudged the mood of the country.