Tory MP lashes out over 'pint of cold sick' Brexit transition deal

Scottish Fisherman’s Federation adds arrangement reached by UK Government and Brussels 'falls far short of an acceptable deal'

Scottish Conservatives have hit out at the draft Brexit transition deal on fishing rights, with one suggesting it would be easier “to get someone to drink a pint of cold sick” than selling it as a success.

The Scottish Tory leader and rising star Ruth Davidson also criticised the agreement as an “undoubted disappointment” and warned she will not support a Brexit deal which fails to deliver full control over fish stocks and vessel access.

The comments follow an agreement between Britain and the EU over the terms of the transition period during which the UK will temporarily remain subject to the bloc’s rules until December 2020.

Fishermen had wanted the UK to regain full control over access to the country's fishing waters immediately after the country formally leaves the EU in March 2019.

But on the key issue of fishing rights, the agreement - reached by Brexit Secretary David Davis and EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier - states that the UK will be “consulted” on the allocation of quotas during the transition period.

Responding to the agreement the Scottish Conservative MP for Moray, Douglas Ross, said: “I have to say the UK Government has delivered far less than I hoped and expected.

“There is no spinning this as a good outcome, it would be easier to get someone to drink a pint of cold sick than try to sell this as a success.”

On her social media account Ms Davidson added she was expecting to “gain control over our waters” after March 2019, when Britain formally leaves the bloc.

But she added: “The EU was not willing to move on this. That we now have to wait until 2020 to assume full control is an undoubted disappointment.

“Over the long-term, today's agreement makes clear that, from 2020, the UK will be an independent coastal state, deciding who can access our waters and on what terms. I am more determined than ever to ensure that this long-term prize for our fishing industry is seized.

“So I should make it clear today that I will not support a deal as we leave the EU which, over the long-term, fails to deliver that full control over fish stocks and vessel access.”

The Scottish Fisherman’s Federation claimed the arrangement “falls far short of an acceptable deal” adding: “Our fishing communities’ fortunes will still be subject to the whim and largesse of the EU for another two years.”

“Put simply, we do not trust them to look after us. So we issue this warning to the EU: be careful what you do or the consequences later will be severe. To our politicians we say this: some have tried to secure a better deal but our governments have let us down.”

The Scottish First Minister and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon, however, condemned the deal on her Twitter account, adding: “This is shaping up to be a massive sellout of the Scottish fishing industry by the Tories.

“The promises that were made to them during the EU referendum and since are already being broken – as many of us warned that would be.”