Westminster trading away rights of Scotland’s fishing industry

The new UK-EU deal keeps the status quo of EU boats having access to UK waters until 2038 (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty)

Nothing matches being inside the tent, at the top table as a fully signed up EU partner in the world’s biggest single market, compared to the detached UK having to reach agreements to reduce the damage of Brexit and pay the price with fisheries.

That is the context of the 2025 UK-EU Summit and an agreement where the Westminster Government traded away the fishing sector without even discussing the detail with the Scottish Government, which has the devolved responsibility for fishing. Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed up to a 12-year lock-in deal without any recourse, involvement or approval of Scottish Government and other devolved administrations.

Ministers in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast received no documentation or draft proposals in advance. A week before the summit I asked the responsible UK minister personally for this. Nothing was received. So much for the reset.

Remember that: “reset”? That was what the incoming Labour Government promised last year. A reset in relations with the European Union and Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. After years of damaging, confrontational and haughty Tory relations with the EU and the devolved nations, we were all promised a reset, for the better. Now the rhetoric of reset has run out of road.

Like a curate’s egg, there are of course parts of the agreement that are an improvement on the self-harm of Brexit. Enhanced defence and security cooperation is in everyones interest, an agro-food SPS deal will be good news for all exporters and importers, a youth experience and re-association to the Erasmus+ scheme is a no brainer, as is greater recognition of professional qualifications.

These are all areas that the Scottish Government urged the UK to reach agreement on. In meetings I had with UK minister Nick Thomas Simmons as well as colleagues from Wales and Northern Ireland, there was a pragmatic and professional discussion about these and other priorities. There was no discussion about a willingness in Whitehall to lock in the fishing sector to a 12-year deal. In fact, the last three inter-ministerial meetings with the UK Government where the fishing plans could be discussed were actually cancelled.

Let’s be absolutely clear; all of the upside from the UK-EU summit would come automatically to an EU member state. Defence and security already has an enhanced priority for the EU, goods and agro-food products already travel without hindrance within the EU customs union and single market, there is free movement of people, all EU member states are part of Erasmus+ and Creative Europe, there is mutual recognition of professional qualifications.

What the UK government isn’t being open about is that the UK has now become a rule-taker in relations with the EU. Unlike Eurosceptics, who usually favour deregulation and a race to the bottom, the Scottish Government supports European standards and works to remain aligned with the EU even although Scotland was taken out against the will of the majority of voters in Scotland. However, rules will be made without our direct representation.

Improving relations with the EU is a good thing - but doing so by undermining the fisheries sector is not. There is no decent substitute for being an independent member state of the EU.

Angus Robertson is SNP MSP for Edinburgh Central and Constitution, External Affairs and Culture Secretary