EU deal gives ’12 years of certainty’ to Scottish fishermen, says Murray
The deal between the UK and EU provides “12 years of certainty and stability” for fishermen, the Scottish Secretary has said.
The agreement – announced on Monday in London – was hailed by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer as a “win-win” for both the UK and the bloc, and will create a “youth experience scheme” for young Britons to study and live in Europe, along with improving trade and allowing British travellers to use passport e-gates on the continent.
But British fishermen have hit out at the deal, which allows a further 12 years of access to UK waters for boats from the EU, with the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) describing it as a “horror show”.
Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland on Tuesday, Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said: “I don’t agree with that.
“It gives 12 years of certainty and stability for the industry, it doesn’t change any of the deal that was put in place in 2019, which is 25% more quotas for UK and Scottish trawlers and it gives wide access, of course to the new markets of the EU, in terms of pushing away all that red tape that was there before.
“Not one more fish will be taken out of Scottish waters by an EU trawler as part of this deal and that provides that stability and certainty.”
The description of the deal as “dreadful”, the minister said, “just doesn’t pass water”.
He added: “I’ve been in business before and I would prefer 12 years of stability and security and certainty than an annual renegotiation that you may or may not win.”
The Scottish Government has been fully informed all the way through this process
The deal has also angered the Scottish Government, which said it had not been consulted on the fishing aspect of it despite the issue being devolved.
The UK Government asserts the agreement related to international trade, which is reserved to Westminster.
Mr Murray rejected the Scottish Government claims, saying: “The Scottish Government has been fully informed all the way through this process.
“The Paymaster General who’s been doing the negotiations has kept them fully informed, there was an inter-ministerial grouping last week, two weeks ago there was a full briefing, and they were kept up to date as the negotiations were running through.”
The Scottish Government, Mr Murray added, “have tied themselves in knots to set themselves against this deal”, but he described it as “good for consumers, it’s good for business and it’s good for Scotland’s economy”.
Scottish External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson addressed MSPs on the deal on Tuesday afternoon, saying UK ministers had failed to consult the devolved administration and had cancelled a number of meetings.
He said: “The fact that this agreement, not least on fisheries, was reached without the explicit engagement of the devolved governments on the negotiating detail is not just an affront to devolution, it has put at risk and will continue to put at risk the benefits of any commitments for the people of Scotland.”
Mr Robertson said there had been only one one face-to-face meeting in the run-up to the deal, saying: “The fisheries issue was not even raised by the UK Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds and certainly no prospects of a 12-year lock-in deal.”
However, he welcomes aspects of the deal, including commitments to rejoin the Erasmus exchange programme and strengthen co-operation on defence funding.
Labour’s Neil Bibby said Mr Robertson was merely expressing “faux outrage”, saying many business groups including the CBI had welcomed the deal.
Mr Bibby said: “The UK Government is getting on with the job of rebuilding our economy, meanwhile the SNP are all over the place on this issue and seem to be opposing this deal alongside Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch.”
Following the statement, Conservative MSP Tim Eagle said: “Fishermen know that neither the SNP nor Labour are on their side when it comes to protecting their interests.”
