An Upside Down World

One of the things that comes with my being a member of parliament is travel between Banffshire and Edinburgh. About 11 hours each week on trains. And that’s where I am as I write.

There many distractions – the tea trolley has just been round and the beaker of refreshing liquid sits before me. Other passengers are plugged into their music – an irritating percussion, sans all melody, invades my space.

Even in this electronic age, printed newspapers still can be bought. I find myself reading a neighbour’s – upside down. It’s a skill I acquired in another life before politics – and which remains of value.

And in the aftermath of the most depressing election campaign in the 55 years since my first, we have an upside down world which needs to be turned right-side up. Most people haven’t learnt to read upside down yet.

In Scotland, the Tories are celebrating after being left with less than a quarter of the available seats while my SNP colleagues are nearly three times as numerous. While at Westminster the great gamble – to increase Teresa May’s power and authority – has become the great scramble – to hold onto power after having to cede authority. The prospect of a great alliance between Tories and DUP is an unedifying one.

After the election I only know one thing the Tories are against and know nothing of what they are for. My house, and that of others around me, received no communication from the Tory candidate and nothing about their plans.

But that is essentially froth. We are leaving the EU. And as I write, four days before negotiations start, not one of us – and I suspect no Tory MP beyond the Cabinet, perhaps not even all of them – knows what the label on the exit door says. Because there are many possible ways out.

Economists are (almost) universally against our leaving the single market when we leave the EU. Why?

We are a very successful exporting nation. In particular in food and drink. And for us in the North East that is a particularly vital interest.

It will be of no value if our fishermen are able to catch more fish because we have left the Common Fisheries Policy if we compromise any of our ability to sell into our most valuable markets – Spain, France and the rest – through our wonderful products being delayed – and losing quality – as they wait in queues to clear customs and have certificates of origin verified.

And it threatens our processing industries if fisherman land fish in other countries – as many already do and may increasingly do – and deprive us of the employment and profit we need to earn.

It’s been many months since I suggested that Scotland’s fisheries minister leads for the UK on that part of the negotiations. With the Tories loss of their majority it’s time for imagination, collaboration and openness about our EU exit objectives.

And perhaps in an upside-down world, more polishing up of my (upside-down) reading skills in the hope that I might learn more what of the Westminster Tories are up to.