Douglas Ross has launched a scathing attack on the SNP’s “bitter and twisted” opposition to the UK Government’s post-Brexit fisheries plan.
The Scottish Tory leader took aim at the party’s environment spokeswoman, Deidre Brock, in the Commons on Tuesday evening, telling the MP the SNP “do not represent what Scotland is looking for” on fisheries.
It came after Ms Brock had voiced concerns over provisions in the Fisheries Bill, which sets the legal framework for seas management at the end of the transition.
Ms Brock warned that the Bill would not deliver for fishing communities, saying that the promise of a “sea of opportunity” was akin to “stories of Narnia“.
Mr Ross remarked: “What kind of individual sits at a computer and types such a bitter, twisted and misleading statement, I presume she writes it herself, I can’t guarantee that, and stands up in the chamber of the House of Commons and reads out such a poorly crafted argument that does not represent what Scotland is looking for.
Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross launched a pretty scathing attack on Brock, he said earlier ‘what kind of individual sits at a computer and types such a bitter, twisted and misleading statement…then stands up in the HoC and reads out such a poorly crafted argument’ 😬 yikes
— Dan O'Donoghue (@MrDanDonoghue) October 13, 2020
“I would say to her to look beyond her blinkered vision of separatism and assuming everything that is done in this UK Parliament is bad, and consider for a moment the million people in Scotland who backed Brexit.
“The almost 50% of voters in my Moray constituency who backed Brexit may actually look at this as an opportunity to take control back from the European Union on fishing.”
Ms Brock intervened, asking the Moray MP: “I’m interested in that he always references his constituency and the fact that a larger percentage of his constituents voted for Brexit and didn’t vote for it but when will he accept that Scotland voted 62% to remain – they rejected Brexit?
“If he has ambitions to be the first minister, how will he how he reflect that when he’s making his pitch to voters?”
Ms Brock’s comments were ruled to be outside the scope of the debate by the deputy speaker.
The SNP MP subsequently raised a point of order accusing Mr Ross of a “personal attack”, but the accusation was not sustained.