'Absurd' SNP accused of supporting Nigel Farage by opposing UK-EU trade deal

Daily Record

20-05-2025

The SNP Government has "tied themselves in knots to set themselves against this deal", according to the Scottish Secretary.
SNP opposition to a new UK-EU trade deal which could thousands of new jobs has been branded "absurd".
Rachel Reeves today accused Nationalists of attempting to follow the example of Reform UK and the Tories in criticising a "reset" of relations between Westminster and Brussels.
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It comes after John Swinney yesterday accused the UK Government of having "surrendered" the fishing industry to satisfy European demands for long-term access to Scottish waters.
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He claimed the deal showed Scotland was an "afterthought" in Westminster decision-making.
Scots fishermen hit out at the reset, which allows a further 12 years of access to UK waters for boats from the EU, with the Scottish Fishermen's Federation (SFF) describing it as a 'horror show'.
Reeves, the UK Chancellor, mocked SNP MP Dave Doogan after he told the Commons today a 'growth-threatening Sword of Damocles' has been placed over the fishing industry.
He said: "What changes will the Chancellor introduce in the spring statement to compensate for the growth-threatening Sword of Damocles she has just placed over the Scottish fishing industry?
'She should know, but probably doesn't, that 70 per cent of revenue from fishing and agriculture comes from Scotland.
'She should know, but probably doesn't, that the fishing industry in Scotland is 50 times larger for Scotland's economy than the UK.
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Reeves replied: 'I was very pleased that the Scottish Salmon Association welcomed the trade deal that we secured with the EU yesterday, and 70 per cent of the fish that is caught in UK waters is sold into European markets.'
She added: 'The SNP are now in an absurd situation where they support Reform and the Tories in opposing the deal with the EU.'
Ian Murray, the Scottish Secretary, said the deal between the UK and EU provides '12 years of certainty and stability' for fishermen.
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'It gives 12 years of certainty and stability for the industry, it doesn't change any of the deal that was put in place in 2019, which is 25 per cent more quotas for UK and Scottish trawlers and it gives wide access, of course to the new markets of the EU, in terms of pushing away all that red tape that was there before.
'Not one more fish will be taken out of Scottish waters by an EU trawler as part of this deal and that provides that stability and certainty.'
The deal has also angered the Scottish Government, which said it had not been consulted on the fishing aspect of it despite the issue being devolved.
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The UK Government asserts the agreement related to international trade, which is reserved to Westminster.
Murray claimed SNP ministers had "tied themselves in knots to set themselves against this deal".
Angus Robertson, the SNP's external affairs minister, said today Westminster had failed to consult the devolved administration and had cancelled a number of meetings.
He said: 'The fact that this agreement, not least on fisheries, was reached without the explicit engagement of the devolved governments on the negotiating detail is not just an affront to devolution, it has put at risk and will continue to put at risk the benefits of any commitments for the people of Scotland.'
Labour's Neil Bibby claimed Robertson was expressing 'faux outrage' while business groups including the CBI had welcomed the deal.
The MSP said: 'The UK Government is getting on with the job of rebuilding our economy, meanwhile the SNP are all over the place on this issue and seem to be opposing this deal alongside Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch.'