Boris Johnson’s UK Tory government has been urged to take action now to mitigate the impacts of Brexit as it sets up a working group headed up by ‘clueless’ Scottish Tory Minister David Duguid.
More than a month after the end of the transition period Scottish fisheries are still suffering from increased costs, mountains of red tape and rotting fish in the back of lorries.
It comes as a ‘seafood taskforce’ is set up in the Scotland Office, one month too late for the seafood industry which has been forced to its knees because of Brexit.
The group will be led by Tory MP David Duguid who in an interview earlier today on Good Morning Scotland, cast aside the serious concerns of Scotland’s fisheries as ‘teething problems’ and that Westminster was ‘doing everything it could’, despite these problems going on for more than a month and calls for extra support falling on deaf ears.
“At a time when the Tories should be focusing on sorting out the challenges being faced by Scotland’s fishing communities, it is having endless discussions when it should be taking tangible action to protect the industry.
“It has been more than a month since the end of the transition period and what the Tories arrogantly dismiss as ‘teething problems’ continue for Scottish exporters. David Duguid is completely clueless as to the issues being faced by exporters in his own constituency.
“Scotland’s fisheries have been completely neglected by the Tories since the end of the transition period and it demonstrates the priorities of Westminster that this taskforce will only meet every fortnight.
“Fishermen do not have a fortnight to wait to fix these problems, they need support now.
“That is why the Scottish Government has stepped in to provide much-needed support for businesses by investing £7.75million to mitigate some of the harm caused and provided funding for two Brexit supervisors to be taken on at Seafood Scotland. The Tories cannot be trusted to protect Scotland’s fishing industry.”
“It has been more than a month since the end of the transition period and what the Tories arrogantly dismiss as ‘teething problems’ continue for Scottish exporters. David Duguid is completely clueless as to the issues being faced by exporters in his own constituency.
“Scotland’s fisheries have been completely neglected by the Tories since the end of the transition period and it demonstrates the priorities of Westminster that this taskforce will only meet every fortnight.
“Fishermen do not have a fortnight to wait to fix these problems, they need support now.
“That is why the Scottish Government has stepped in to provide much-needed support for businesses by investing £7.75million to mitigate some of the harm caused and provided funding for two Brexit supervisors to be taken on at Seafood Scotland. The Tories cannot be trusted to protect Scotland’s fishing industry.”
