I WISH to comment on the recent decision made by the Tory government to extend the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) into the post-Brexit two-year transition period to 2021. This decision has brought into focus how totally indifferent the UK Tory government is towards the Scottish fishing industry.
This industry (which is devolved to Holyrood) voted almost en masse for Brexit and as a consequence returned, particularly in the east and north-east, a number of Tory MPs. The expectation from the fishing industry was that the Tories would “get back your territorial waters on the first day after we have left Europe”. Such a promise only days ago was echoed by both Ruth Davidson and Michael Gove, no less.
The impact of such a decision goes far beyond just that of who controls the territorial boundaries of UK/Scotland fishing grounds. I believe it is the latest in a long line of decisions which profoundly and starkly puts the relationship of Scotland and the rest of the UK (England in particular) at a crossroads and in clear perspective.
This latest decision sounds hollow and patronising to those hard-working members of the fishing community. The pathetic attempt by the 13 Scottish Tory MPs to show their dissent at the CFP decision was a false cry of indignation.
The greatest humiliation must surely be that experienced by Ruth Davidson and David Mundell. Their standing and integrity must now be at an all-time low. It is obvious to any discerning individual that they have absolutely no influence at the Tory top table.
As a consequence I firmly believe that right now, Scotland within the UK political structure of government has no effective representation. Our Westminster MPs in reality have no real powers. The SNP MPs are not listened to, they are ignored and given little respect. Even if we had all 59 seats it would make no difference. The Tory MPs are Tory voting fodder – just look at their voting record to date. As for our Labour MPs, they have disappeared without trace into the UK Labour machine. Add to this what is the most worrying development: the Tory government’s clear strategy in the short term to weaken the devolution settlement and in the long term in my view to dismantle our devolved parliament.
Any rise in the Union-supporting party numbers at Holyrood will open the floodgates for demands to stop devolution in its tracks, particularly if there is a Union-supporting majority of MSPs.
How long can we – as a sovereign nation with a long, proud history – continue to operate within a politically bankrupt UK with a very uncertain Brexit future?
How long are we as a nation prepared to suffer the indignity, humiliation, indifference and derision from our so-called equal partners in the UK?
The Treaty of Union is broken.We all, particularly Union voters, have a lot of heart searching to do the next time we vote in any Holyrood or Westminster election.
There is a lot at stake!
Dan Wood
Kirriemuir
THE fishermen of Scotland are now being promised that, instead of leaving the Common Fisheries Policy in March 2019 as previously promised, they will now leave 20 months later.
If any Scottish fishermen are still gullible enough to believe Ruth and the rest of the Tories’ new promise, then a new category will be required in social attitude surveys: “Dense as Aberdeenshire granite”, or perhaps, “IQ level with a haddock”.
And English fishermen might prefer comparison with a cod if they still believe the Tories.
David Crines
via thenational.scot
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