Fishing and Other Woes

It will not surprise readers of this column that I am not alone in seeing the UK Government’s preparation for Brexit proving to be wholly inadequate. Its promises to the fishing industry were something I have cast doubt on since 2016. It gives me no pleasure to be proved right.

At the end of last year, we finally discovered what the details of a deal on fishing would be. Needless to say it was certainly not what representatives in the Scottish Parliament and in the fishing community needed for the industry. The slogan “Sea of Opportunity” came from the Scottish Fishermen's Federation. They are now powerful critics of the outcome.

I was particularly disappointed then to hear Banff and Buchan MP David Duguid respond to a question on how long it would take to fix supply chain problems caused by Brexit with the following answer: “how long is a piece of string?”. The responsibility for the issues now facing the sector are solely as a result of the promises made by Tory politicians, who promised our fishing industry everything, yet have delivered worse than nothing.

Too many MPs who represent the north-east of Scotland sat around tables with those from the sector and repeatedly made promises they simply could not keep. Now we have chaos, poor preparation, systems that don’t work and businesses being left to fend for themselves - and a UK Fisheries Minister who astonishingly admitted she had not even read the damaging Brexit deal because she was busy organising a Nativity trail.

In my final months as an MSP for our community, that it has been my absolute privilege to represent for two decades, I will fight hard on this matter as I have done so throughout my time in office. And I know my colleague and candidate Councillor Karen Adam will also continue to do so.

I know these have also been challenging times as many parents work from home while also trying to educate youngsters and look after even younger ones as we continue to stay at home. This cannot be an easy challenge, nor too for those who have had to shield or care for loved one. And for those who have been unable to see family and friends for many months.

With a vaccine roll-out now begun we are moving closer to being able to do the things that have seemed impossible for months. The road ahead in the short-term will continue to be challenging, there is no doubt, but the efforts and determination being made by us all is helping tremendously in the fight against the coronavirus. For that, I would like to say a big thank-you.

Please remember FACTS and continue to follow them. Wear a face covering if you are in a shop of any kind, avoid crowded places where there may be lots of people, clean your hands regularly, ensure you are a two metres distance from other people not in your household and finally, if you show any symptoms please self-isolate and book a test.