A move to include a final date for ending Brussels control over the Scottish fishing fleet in the UK Government Fisheries Bill has been defeated by MPs.
Northern Isles Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael was seeking to have December 31 2020 enshrined in law as the last possible day for Britain leaving the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).
Parliament’s public bill committee rejected the proposed amendment by nine to eight.
Those voting against it included Banff and Buchan Tory MP David Duguid, whose fishing community constituents are looking forward to the day they can finally say “good riddance” to the CFP after suffering the brunt of EU policymaking at its worst.
Mr Duguid called for “assurance” from Fisheries Minister George Eustice that the CFP would not govern Scottish fishing beyond December 2020.
Mr Eustice highlighted industry and “almost cross-party consensus that we cannot get out of the EU fast enough” but also said options had to remain open.
He added: “We currently envisage the implementation period running until the end of 2020.
“In the event that we are unable to conclude a future partnership with the EU during that implementation period, and that that is apparent by July 2020, the government will have a choice.
“If we have made good progress and are close to getting a new agreement in place, there will be an opportunity to extend the implementation period.
“That might be for just a few months to ensure that things can be put in place.
“If, however, the government judged that the prospects of getting a future partnership were low – or the prospects of getting one in the foreseeable future were low – they could opt to embrace the so-called Northern Ireland protocol backstop.”
The proposed amendment would “make it rather more difficult” to extend the transition, he said.
Speaking last night, Mr Duguid said Brexit was a “fluid situation” and the prospect of more clarity emerging about the terms of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU before the Fisheries Bill reaches the report stage meant “that would be the time for these amendments to be made”.