SNP MP Drew Hendry has said that the Prime Minister must clarify what has changed in UK government policy on fishing in the space of just one week, following misleading statements issued by Michael Gove and Ruth Davidson.
During PMQs today, the SNP MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey said that both Michael Gove, the UK’s agriculture and fisheries secretary, and Ruth Davidson stated last week that “the Prime Minister has been clear: Britain will leave the CFP as of March 2019”.
However, the transitional deal agreed by the UK government a week later will see the UK remaining in the CFP beyond 2019 and being merely “consulted” on fish quotas during the interim period.
Drew Hendry MP said:
“Last week, Michael Gove and Ruth Davidson said that ‘the Prime Minister has been clear: Britain will leave the CFP as of March 2019.’ Now, the UK is staying in the fisheries policy beyond 2019 but with no say on quotas – the worst deal imaginable.
“It beggars belief that the Tories still expect people to take them at their word on anything. The Tory party simply cannot be trusted when it comes to protecting Scotland’s important fishing communities, and the Prime Minister must clarify what has changed in UK government policy in the space of a mere week that led her to selling out the fishing industry.
“It’s clear now that the UK will remain in the CFP during the transition period, but it will lose the voting rights it has now. Both Ruth Davidson and Michael Gove issued misleading statements, and they must now apologise.”