Scottish Government anger over EU-UK trade deal

Fishing leaders have accused the UK Government of betrayal over a new trade deal with the EU as Scottish ministers claim they have been kept in the dark.

An agreement in principle has been announced today and takes in fishing, food, and more.

Downing Street says it will help to "grow the economy, back British jobs and put more money in people's pockets".

On fishing - a major Scottish industry - EU boats will retain access to UK waters until 2038.

On food, checks on goods exported from the UK to the EU will be reduced.

And the UK defence sector will be able to participate in the EU's proposed £150bn Security Action for Europe fund.

Steel exports and pet passports are also covered, with British travellers to be allowed to make more use of eGates in Europe.

Responding to the announcement on social media, Constitution, External Affairs and Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said the deal had been made without the involvement or approval of the Scottish Government or other devolved administrations.

And he questioned the Labour government's commitment to a "reset" of relations with devolved institutions.

Robertson posted: "UK Government has agreed a fisheries (devolved) deal with EU in principle, without any recourse, involvement or approval of devolved administrations. 

"The Scottish Government received no documentation or draft proposals in advance. I asked UK minister last week for this. Nothing received. Reset?"

Robertson said the news comes after the UK Government cancelled the last three meetings of the inter-ministerial body on the environment, food and rural affairs.

Elspeth Macdonald of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation described the deal as a "total capitulation to the EU", calling it "an absolutely disastrous outcome for the Scottish fishing fleet".

She said: "This is not a roll over, it's a total capitulation to the EU and a disastrous outcome for the Scottish fishing fleet.

"The EU have clearly reneged on a deal that they signed up to in 2020 and have said that they require to have another multi-year deal.

"But in doing so the UK loses all its negotiating capital and all its leverage, so the EU continues to take a far bigger share of the resources in our waters than they are entitled to.

"We've always been in this position where fishing seems to be the expendable price for something else that the UK wants."

Meanwhile, Scottish White Fish Association chief executive Mike Park said the fishing industry had been "sold down the river", commenting: "We understand the free flow of food products, the EU benefit from that and the UK benefit from it.

"But here we have a massive fleet coming into UK waters and the UK fishing industry gets nothing out of it."

However, Salmon Scotland chief executive Tavish Scott hailed the "breakthrough", saying it will "ease the burden on our farmers, processors and the communities they support", helping farmed goods get to market quicker. He said: "Since Brexit, our members have faced costly delays and bureaucracy moving 500 lorryloads of nutritious, low-carbon salmon across the Channel every week.

"Scottish salmon is the UK's biggest food export, with strong demand in the EU, the US and beyond.

"A large share of our exports to France carry the prestigious Label Rouge mark, underlining our global reputation for quality.

"We look forward to rebuilding trade ties across Europe and will continue to press for freer access to the US and other markets to support jobs and growth in our coastal communities."

Announcing the deal, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: "It's time to look forward. To move on from the stale old debates and political fights to find common sense, practical solutions which get the best for the British people.

"We're ready to work with partners if it means we can improve people's lives here at home.

"So that's what this deal is all about – facing out into the world once again, in the great tradition of this nation. Building the relationships we choose, with the partners we choose, and closing deals in the national interest. Because that is what independent, sovereign nations do."

A £360m fund for investment in coastal communities has also been announced.

But the Conservative MP Harriet Cross accused the government of committing "one of the biggest acts of betrayal that our fishing industry has seen in Scotland", while Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie described the deal as "just another disappointment that lets Scotland down".

And, in an official comment, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes welcomed "closer cooperation with the EU in areas such as agriculture, food and drink, energy and Erasmus", saying that this "unpicks a small part of the immense damage that Brexit continues to inflict on our economy and living standards".

She went on: "It beggars belief that this agreement has been reached by selling out Scotland's fishing communities. Labour promised fishing communities in Scotland that their interests would be protected in this process, but this deal shows those promise counted for nothing. After years of being treated as pawns by successive UK Governments, fishing communities in Scotland now find themselves in the worst of all worlds. Fishing was famously described as expendable when the UK joined Europe, and it is clear that attitude has not changed in Whitehall in the half century since."