Keir Starmer has been warned “not to sell out fishermen” after announcing he will host European Union leaders at a Brexit summit in the UK in May.
Speaking after a meeting with the Labour Prime Minister on Monday, European Council President António Costa said the summit would focus on devising “the closest relationship it will be possible to build together”.
In return for a new trade deal with Starmer, Brussels is reportedly demanding that the UK surrenders fishing rights and follows EU laws for the first time since Brexit.
An EU diplomat stressed that the EU keeping at least 75% of its pre-Brexit catch quotas is a precondition for talks.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed that in addition to security, “other topics” such as fishing would be discussed as the summit in May.
Buckie-based Scottish Conservative shadow secretary for rural affairs and fishing, Tim Eagle MSP, commented:
“Just weeks after John Swinney said it was his ‘mission’ to rejoin the EU, it now looks like Keir Starmer is prepared to sell out Scottish fishermen by offering up access to UK waters to EU fishing boats in return for a new trade deal.
“This is an extremely worrying time for the fishing industry which is rightly concerned that it is being used as a pawn in these negotiations by the UK Labour government.
“Since leaving the EU and the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), not only have we seen catches and landings increase in places such as Peterhead and Fraserburgh, but Scotland has had a far stronger voice in annual quota negotiations since the UK became an independent coastal state.
“This would all be thrown down the drain if Keir Starmer backs down to the demands of EU leaders, who would like nothing more than to have access to our world-leading fish stocks.
“Rather than betray and sacrifice the future of our fishing industry, Keir Starmer must protect UK waters and not offer up access to the detriment of livelihoods that depend on the sector.”
Speaking to the Times, an EU diplomat said: “The security part is essential for us, we share security interests with the UK but at the same time there is no beating around the bush that fisheries are also very important.”
