North-east politicians have become embroiled in a war of words over Brexit, each claiming the other is selling-out Scotland’s fisherman.
Banff and Buchan Conservative MP David Duguid has accused the SNP of “staggering hypocrisy” and taking steps that would “shackle Scottish fisherman to the EU forever”.
His SNP rival, Banffshire and Buchan Coast MSP Stewart Stevenson, has accused the UK Government of working against the industry for years.
Current Brexit plans will effectively keep Britain under the control of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) during the transition period and aim for the UK to become an independent coastal state by the end of 2020.
There is also an on-going constitutional row over the repatriation of powers, including fisheries, to devolved administrations after Brexit, which has been characterised as a power grab by the SNP.
Conservative Mr Duguid said Mr Stevenson would prefer to see the sector shackled to the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) “in perpetuity”.
Mr Duguid said: “The SNP rhetoric on fishing is not only ill-informed, but it displays a staggering level of hypocrisy.
“This is the party that wants Scotland to stay in the EU and for our fishermen to remain shackled to the Common Fisheries Policy in perpetuity – the exact opposite of what they voted for.
“The reality is that the SNP resort to desperate scare tactics because they have nothing to offer our fishing industry.
“If the SNP really cared about the Scottish fishing industry, they would be sitting down with them to discuss how to help deliver on Brexit and get the best possible deal as we finally leave the EU.”
Mr Stevenson, however, said he and his party had been “consistently opposed to the CFP for decades”.
He called on Mr Duguid to “come clean” on plans for a power grab he claimed were revealed in a leaked white paper earlier this month.
Mr Stevenson said: “The truth is the latest Tory amendments to the Withdrawal Bill would prevent the Scottish Parliament legislating to protect fishing communities for up to seven years.
“Westminster will be able to dictate how we manage our fisheries and have the power to further barter away any of Scotland’s fishing interests during that time.
“I will take no lessons from the Tories, who were the ones who took Scotland’s fishing industry into the CFP and then blocked Scottish Ministers from having any say at European fisheries negotiations, preferring instead to send unelected Tory Lords who knew nothing about the industry.”
