THERESA May has seemingly sold out Scotland’s fishermen in a bid to salvage Brexit.
A leaked draft of the political declaration outlining the future relationship between Europe and the UK seems to offer up access to UK fishing waters for European vessels in return for a trade deal.
In the section, Fishing Opportunities, the declaration reads: “Within the context of the overall economic partnership the parties should establish a new fisheries agreement on, inter alia, access to waters and quota shares."
READ MORE: Sturgeon says Scotland is paying price for not being independent in Brexit deal
All eyes will now be on David Mundell, the Secretary of State for Scotland who just three days ago threatened to resign from Cabinet if UK fishermen remain tied to the Commons Fisheries Policy in any way, beyond December 2020.
Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: “Looks to me like fishing will be a bargaining chip in wider trade negotiation (‘within the context of the overall economic partnership’). UKG was trying to get commitment to annual agreements on access - looks like they failed. Another Tory sell out of fishing on the cards.”
She added: “And if wider trade negotiation not agreed by July 2020, nor will fishing agreement (‘best endeavours’ not a guarantee) - and possibility of 2 year transition kicks in. So not guaranteed to be out of CFP by end 2020. Feels to me like David Mundell has some explaining to do.”
Earlier this week Mundell told media: “We are leaving the CFP and becoming an independent coastal state in 2020. If the implementation period is extended, as far as I’m concerned that will have to remain the case. I'm very clear we can't extend the period and include the CFP within that extension and I could not support that.”
In a letter hand-delivered to the Prime Minister last week, he and the 12 other Scottish Tory MPs, explicitly warned: "At the end of the Implementation Period, we must be able to negotiate access and quota shares with the EU and other third countries independently on an annual basis, without any pre-existing arrangement being in force.
"This means that access and quota shares cannot be included in the Future Economic Partnership, allowing the UK to become an independent coastal state both in principle and in practice"
During negotiations, a number of EU countries, including France had made clear the future UK-EU free trade agreement should depend on Britain offering access to its waters similar to current arrangements.
The document, due to be approved by EU leaders at a Brexit summit on Sunday, will likely add pressure on May, who managed to fend off a backbench challenge to her leadership earlier this week.
The 26-page agreement falls short of the Chequers deal May had pinned her hopes to, and most notably fails to agree any form of friction-less trade.
The two sides “envisage having a trading relationship on goods that is as close as possible”, May might be able to calm the nerves of mutinous Brexiters by pointing to a commitment in the document to explore “facilitative arrangements and technologies” to be “considered in developing any alternative arrangements for ensuring the absence of a hard border on the island of Ireland on a permanent footing”.
That paves the way for a get out of the controversial backstop.
The Prime Minister is due to give a statement to the House of Commons at 2.30pm.
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