SCOTLAND’S Tory MPs have had next to no contact with the government’s Brexit department.
According to documents released under Freedom of Information, only Colin Clark, the MP for Gordon, has met with ministers from the Department for Exiting the EU (DExEU) since the week after last year’s election.
The information also shows that no Scottish Tory MP has even written to the DExEU since the election, despite that department having responsibilities over negotiations, the EU repeal Bill, fisheries, impact assessments, and Irish border issues among others.
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SNP MSP Graeme Dey said the 12 new Tories were little more than “lobby fodder.”
The Tories’ David Duguid, called it a “ludicrous claim”.
The response from the government’s FOI team shows all 12 MPs met with Brexit minister David Davis, and his two Parliamentary Under Secretary of States, Steve Baker and Robin Walker on 14 June 2017.
Clark met with ministers again in October.
Dey said: “The fact that these Tory MPs haven’t even bothered to lift a finger and engage with the UK government on the biggest issue of the day, save for a photo-op last June, says it all about how useless they are – these arrogant Tories think they can do anything to Scotland and get away with it. They’re completely ignored to the point that Ruth Davidson is left so out of the loop that she proclaims that fishing interests will be protected, just days before the UK government’s sell out – you couldn’t make it up.
“They went to Westminster promising to be a strong voice representing Scotland’s interests, yet all they are is lobby fodder for Theresa May’s failing Government and have been reduced to throwing fish in the Thames protesting their own government in a bid to stay relevant after their box-ticking meeting with the Prime Minister showed again how little influence they have.
“You’d have hoped that there might have been something to motivate this group to speak to DExEU since last June – from protecting Scotland’s fisheries, supporting single market membership in the wake of the UK government’s own Brexit impact assessment, or raising concerns about the Irish border – but seemingly not.”
Duguid, the MP for Banff and Buchan rubbished Dey’s comment: “This is a ludicrous claim from a party that has no interest in standing up for Scotland’s fishing industry and only wants to use Brexit as an excuse to campaign for a second independence referendum.
“Scotland’s fishermen understand that only the Conservatives will take them out of the Common Fisheries Policy.”
Meanwhile, there was confusion again over Labour’s Brexit position, with a senior member of Jeremy Corbyn’s Brexit team saying politicians should be supporting Theresa May’s trade deal with the EU, regardless of what was in it.
At an invite-only event in Germany, Shadow International Trade Secretary Barry Gardiner was asked about Westminster or the European Parliament rejecting the deal.
He said: “The European Parliament should consider very carefully before voting against any agreement, even if it’s not the agreement you want.”
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