Nicola Sturgeon seem to have been betrayed by some of her
party members. According to sources, top Scotland National Party MPs have given
their support to an election pledge that would help to put behind any plan for
Scotland to re-join the EU should the region gets the much clamoured
independence.
Accordingly, a collection of MPs headed by the SNP’s welfare
spokesman Eilidh Whiteford and chief whip Mike Weir have all given their support
to the “Brexit Sea of Opportunity” pledge drawn up by the Scottish Fishermen’s
Federation (SFF).
They were also committed by the statement to “avoid any
policy, practice, regulation or treaty which could return [the UK] to the
[EU’s] Common Fisheries (CFP) Policy and the enforced giveaway of almost two
thirds of Scottish fish stocks".
The CFP being a no go area in the EU negotiation which was
signed by MPs irrespective of their Sturgeon’s demand for another indyref.
The actions taken at the House of Commons has increased the chaos
being faced by the SNP as they call for another independence referendum just
three years after they lost the last one.
This blow on Sturgeon comes at a time when the SNP seem to
be losing popularity in Scotland, with the Tories gaining more grounds.
Surprisingly, the pledge was also signed by Scottish
Secretary David Mundell committing the Conservatives and current UK Government
to protecting Britain’s fishing stocks from being negotiated away in the Brexit
talks after the election.
He said: “I was delighted to sign this pledge the UK is
leaving the cfp we will regain control of our fishing and I look forward to
working with the industry to turn the Sea of Opportunity into a reality.”
Scottish Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser said: “This is more
confusion from the SNP on its position in relation to Europe.
“It likes to pretend that it wants Scotland and the UK to
still be part of the EU.
“Yet on one of the key planks of EU policy, its MPs have
said they categorically want out.
“The nationalists can’t have it both ways – if you’re in the
EU, you have to be in the CFP too.
“It underlines the hypocrisy at the heart of the SNP when it
comes to Brexit matters.”
Ukip fisheries spokesman Mike Hookem said: “The rank sordid
hypocrisy of the SNP in signing a declaration in support of Scottish fishermen
ranks as possibly the most preposterous piece of look what I say not what I do
I have ever seen.
“Anybody might think there was an election on and they
assume the Scottish voters are stupid, they are not.”
Ms Whiteford insisted that the SNP “have always opposed the
common fisheries policy in its current form.”
She was unable to say how Scotland could rejoin the EU and
remain outside the fisheries policy, but she appeared to suggest that the party
now prefers to only join the single market.
She said: “If you look at Norway and Iceland they are part
of the single market but outside the EU and the common fisheries policy.”
Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the SFF said that the
EU’s fishing policy had been a travesty and meant that 60 per cent of Scottish
and British fishing stocks had been taken by foreign trawlers.
He said: “Can you imagine if we asked France, Italy or Spain
for 60 per cent of their grapes so we can make wine? It would be ridiculous and
so is giving up our natural resources.”
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