Salmond: Westminster plan ‘betrays Scotland’

Much of the UK fishing fleet is based in Scottish ports. Picture: PA

Alex Salmond has accused David Cameron of betraying the referendum pledge of Scotland’s equal role in the UK “family of nations” in a row over representation at key EU talks.

The First Minister hit out after it emerged that fisheries secretary Richard Lochhead was told he could not attend the meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels today.

UK Environment Secretary Liz Truss will not be attending the meeting and the peer Lord de Mauley is going in her place.

Over the weekend the First Minister called for Mr Lochhead to be invited along as well, but Whitehall officials are understood to have ruled this out.

Mr Salmond said last night: “This encapsulates everything that is wrong with the UK government’s attitude to both Scotland and Europe.

“David Cameron is breaking his personal assurance that, where Scotland’s interests are at stake, Scottish ministers can play a full part in EU meetings.

“This decision makes a mockery of the Prime Minister’s last-ditch attempts in the referendum to pretend that Scotland is an equal part of this family of nations. The UK government are moving backwards not forwards when it comes to Scotland and to Europe.

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“After their disastrous handling of the EU budget, where they were caught sleeping at the wheel on the meeting of 26 May when budget changes were waved through, this decision underlines the extent of the Tories EU incompetence.

“David Cameron is risking yet another farcical European outcome by sending a lord with no knowledge of Scotland’s fisheries industry to negotiate on an important issue for Scotland instead of allowing a Cabinet secretary with seven years of experience to take the lead.”

Much of the UK fishing fleet is based in Scotland and Mr Lochhead has attended EU fisheries talks before. The industry has been found to have a far greater social-economic and cultural importance in Scotland than it has relative to the rest of the UK.

Mr Salmond added: “Richard Lochhead will be in Brussels and the Prime Minister must see sense and allow him to lead these important fisheries talks.

“This is a matter the Smith Commission must address. We cannot have a situation where vital Scottish interests are jeopardised because of Whitehall protocols and unelected peers take the place of experienced Scottish Ministers.”

Today’s meeting is made up of the agriculture and fisheries ministers of the 28 EU members states. It looks at issues such as the quotas for each species.

A Downing Street spokesman last night said the government takes its responsibility to act for all parts of the UK “extremely seriously”.

“Our ministers put our country’s interests first and foremost in all they do,” he added.

“We have consistently and successfully worked with the Scottish Government to argue for and to secure the best deals for our fishing industry. Their hand is strengthened by being part of the UK.”

The row over Scotland’s EU representation has been a thorny issue in recent years, as the SNP lobbied for Scottish ministers to have a greater say at Brussels council meetings.

The Nationalists appeared to have made a breakthrough when Mr Cameron took over as Prime Minister.

He allowed Mr Lochhead, to lead the UK delegation to resolve an international row dubbed the “mackerel wars”.

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