SCOTTISH fishermen have welcomed a “decision” by David Mundell, confirming the industry will not be bound by the hated Common Fisheries Policy beyond the end of the December 2020 transition period.
The reaction from the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation[SFF] came after the Scottish Secretary stressed that from this date Britain would be at fisheries negotiations as an “independent coastal state…regardless of what else happens”.
On Brexit Day next March the UK will become an independent coastal state but, as part of the 21-month transition period, has agreed to be bound by the CFP regime until December 2020.
Last month, as the Brexit talks failed to make a breakthrough at the European Council, the idea of extending the transition period “emerged” as a means of getting round the obstacle of the Northern Ireland backstop.
Dominic Raab, the Brexit Secretary, said he was open-minded about the possibility of a transition extension and Theresa May suggested that if one were to happen, it would be for only a few months. But Whitehall sources have stressed thus far it is merely an “idea,” that has not been developed.
However, the prospect of extending the transition beyond December 2020 has caused major ructions in Conservative ranks with Brexiteers complaining of staying under EU rules for longer without any say in the rules and paying in billions more taxpayers’ money into Brussels coffers.
In addition, Scottish Tories have been exercised by the prospect of the fishing industry still being bound by the loathed CFP rules for another 12 months as quotas are set in December for the following year.
Such was the level of Scottish Conservative MPs’ concerns, Mr Mundell contacted No 10 to seek clarity while some of his colleagues made clear they would seek to vote down any Brexit deal that extended the transition period without an exemption for the fishing industry.
On BBC’s Good Morning Scotland, the Scottish Secretary said: “The PM fully appreciates this issue and has been very clear. I have been very clear with her and she has been very clear with me and indeed my colleagues, who have raised this issue, that the UK will be an independent coastal state at the negotiations in relation to fishing in December 2020 regardless of what else happens.”
David Duguid, the Scottish Conservative MP for Banff and Buchan, noted: “That’s about as categoric on the subject as I have heard the Secretary of State speak.”
The SFF said it “welcomed the decision by Scottish Secretary David Mundell, made with the Prime Minister's blessing, to rule out the UK remaining in the CFP beyond December 2020” while its Chief Executive, Bertie Armstrong, said the Cabinet Minister’s statement was “much needed and welcome news".
But Whitehall sources later sought to play down the significance of Mr Mundell’s remarks, saying he was only restating the current Government position ie in December 2020 Britain will be at the fisheries talks as an independent coastal state.
They suggested the Secretary of State was not referring to the context of a possible transition extension, which has dominated Scottish debate on the subject in the last two weeks.
No 10 simply said that it would always work in the best interests of Britain’s fishermen.
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