A TORY candidate standing in the north east has been slammed for describing the Brexit chaos which has caused devastation to fishing communities as a “hiccup".

Douglas Lumsden, standing for the Tories in Aberdeen Central, told BBC Newsnight that “there were some hiccups at the start of Brexit” but “we’re through that”.

Lumsden, who is on the regional North East list, also claimed that Brexit is “out of the way now”.

The SNP said that this is yet another example of the Tories showing “utter contempt” towards our fishing industry – and the wider food and drink sector – which has been let down at every turn by Westminster parties.

SNP candidate for Aberdeen Central, Kevin Stewart, said: “The responsibility for forcing our vital fishing communities to pay a heavy price for Brexit, and pushing many to the brink, lies solely at the door of Boris Johnson’s Tory party.

“For years, this inept Tory government has made exaggerated promises they knew they couldn’t keep, and failed to offer any assurances to an industry that’s worth over £1 billion every year to Scotland’s economy.

“To claim that the chaos caused by Brexit is just a ‘hiccup’ shows utter contempt towards our vital fishing industry, which has been let down at every turn by the Scottish Tories. And it is not just the fishing sector – the whole of our world-class food and drink sector has been adversely affected by the chaos of Brexit.

“No matter how much they try to bury their heads in the sand, voters won’t forget that Douglas Ross and his Tory colleagues voted for the devastating path that put Scottish jobs and businesses on the line.

“The threat posed to our economy by the Tories has never been clearer. Only giving both votes to the SNP on May 6 will ensure that Scotland’s future is in Scotland’s hands – not Boris Johnson’s.”