Na h-Eileanan an Iar SNP MSP Alasdair Allan has voiced concern on post-Brexit fishing agreements with the EU.

According to a memo leaked to the Press & Journal, the European Council has promised its members it will “demonstrate particular vigilance … in protecting fishing enterprises and coastal communities” – rubbishing the Tories’ promises that the UK will have complete control of its waters after Brexit.

Last week, Charles Grant, the director of the Centre for European Reform, told a Holyrood committee that senior UK Government officials had indicated they would “trade-off” or “bargain” with Scottish fishing to “get a better deal on financial services.” He added that the UK is prepared to “give access to EU boats in our waters otherwise we won’t be able to get anything on financial services.”

Alasdair Allan MSP commented:

“The Tories sold out Scottish fishermen on the way into Europe, and they look set to do the same on the way out. It would be a bitter irony if, despite the Tories’ promises, the one part of the European Union that was to remain after Brexit was the Common Fisheries Policy.

“The conduct of the UK Government throughout the Brexit process has left no doubt that they view Scottish fishing stocks as expendable bargaining chips. There is a real fear that the UK Government are set to pawn off fishing interests in return for concessions on financial services that benefit the City of London.

“Scotland is just a day away from crashing out of the EU against our will. We need some honesty from Boris Johnson’s Government on how they can secure all their promises on trade with Europe without putting fishing on the table.”