"ONLY the hated Tories, with their hearts of stone, could pledge to the fishing communities of Scotland a bonanza, and then just shrug as it turned into a sludge of mendacity" — Scots MP Deidre Brock pulled no punches in a Brexit debate today.
Addressing Fisheries Minister Victoria Prentis and MPs from across the political spectrum, the SNP's environment and rural affairs spokesperson at Westminster hit out at the "devastation" she says faces coastal communities as a result of the impact on the fishing sector.
Brock, originally from Australia, slammed the UK Government's approach to trade, saying "it is not really feasible to transport fresh fish halfway round the world to sell into the Australian market, no matter how fabulous a deal the Government think they have done".
The Edinburgh North and Leith MP was speaking in a Westminster Hall debate called by Orkney and Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael on fisheries management.
READ MORE: Deidre Brock: Brexit risks Thatcher-level 'devastation' for Scotland
Prentis said: "It has been a very difficult 18 months for the industry. The pandemic forced the closure of hospitality both at home and abroad, which has led to an abrupt loss of our markets.
"As we have heard again and again, exporters have had to adapt to the new conditions that we were subject to as we left the single market."
She went on: "We have had an 11% uplift in domestic consumption this year. There is a bright future ahead."
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