IN a boxing match, if one fighter is on jelly legs and close to landing face first on the canvas, their trainer would throw in the towel and get them out of the ring before any further damage is inflicted.
The Brexit deal was looking to its corner this week after it took an almighty bruising from leading Scottish businesses in Holyrood committees.
The bout was set up on Wednesday when big-hitters lined up at the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee when MSPs heard from exporters DFDS, seafood producers J Charles LLP and Mowi, and industry experts from the Scottish White Fish Producers Association and Food Standards Scotland.
Throughout the session they landed blow after blow to the deal. “It’s destroying exports,” “Leaves us scratching our heads at the sea of opportunity,” “Costs spiralling out of control”.
The Brexit deal came out of that exchange battered, with a few black eyes and abrasions to the nose, but it was then put in front of the seafood industry at the Culture, Tourism and External Affairs Committee. From the starting bell a big right hook was landed by the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation who said they have been misled and betrayed by the Tories and that for some species the deal leaves them worse off.
A knockout haymaker was handed out by the Scottish Seafood Association who described the deal as “the worst of the worst of the worst” which laid out the Brexit deal for the count of 10.
These were extraordinary and extremely significant contributions from some of the most respected figures in the seafood and export industries. Both sectors feel rightly aggrieved by the deal they have been dealt after being told they would have full control of the waters they fish and be presented with seas of opportunity as a result of the deal.
The exchanges get right to the heart of Tory lies about Brexit, where these industries have been sold down the river and are suffering as a result, but the Tories have left fishermen to try and clear up the mess themselves, hiding behind excuses such as “teething problems”. But as we heard from these experts the “teething problems” are far from that and are systemic issues with the processes put in place and the needless bureaucracy that has thrown up barriers at their every turn since the end of the transition period.
Spiralling costs and increased paperwork now mean the very existence of some of Scotland’s small and medium-sized enterprises is under threat. Every time they look to move their goods from Scotland to the lucrative EU market, they are faced with fees of between £150 and £220. Each time.
INCREASED costs then need to be recovered somewhere along the line so they inevitably get passed on to the consumer where the product is more expensive to buy, making it less competitive to other products on the market.
I have pressed last week in person Michael Gove and George Eustice to refund the costs of the EHCs – the documents required because, and only because, of their Brexit policy. So far, they have ignored my pleas even though they have a fund set up to deal with bureaucracy costs.
The spiral continues as reports suggest companies are upping sticks and relocating to the EU, meaning a loss of jobs in Scotland at a time when unemployment is on the way up due to the pandemic.
The end result is companies reliant on Scotland’s most iconic shellfish, cod, salmon, lobster, crabs, haddock are all under threat of going out of business because of the rotten Brexit deal allegedly negotiated on their behalf.
This was all completely avoidable if the Tories had listened to the Scottish Government’s reasonable suggestions to allow Scotland to remain within the single market and customs union as the people of Scotland voted for. Of course, that democratic preference was ignored.
We are less than three months away from one of the most important elections in the history of the Scottish Parliament.
The very future of Scotland is at stake. It will be a simple choice between whether the people of Scotland want to place their future in the hands of Tory Prime Ministers like Boris Johnson or hold our future in our own hands.
At the end of the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee, Andrew Charles from J Charles LLP thought the only way to sort out the mess is for us to re-join the EU.
The only way to allow Scotland to return to the EU and re-join the international community is by becoming an independent country and the only way to make that happen is by giving both votes to the SNP in May.
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