News / The reset button
NORTHERN isles MP and Scottish secretary Alistair Carmichael praised the Scottish government’s role in this month’s fisheries negotiations in Brussels, as part of his drive to thaw relations between Westminster and Holyrood following the independence referendum.
Speaking in Orkney where he met local fishing leaders on Friday, Carmichael said he was “delighted” Scottish fishing secretary Richard Lochhead had been “a key player” in the build up to next week’s EU fisheries council meeting.
He said the UK’s negotiating team would be led by the UK fishing minister George Eustice, but the position he would adopt had been informed by months of meetings with Lochhead, amongst others.
“This is an issue which affects fishermen in all of the parts of the UK – not just Scotland – but I am delighted that Richard Lochhead, the Scottish Government’s Fisheries Secretary, has been a key player in the build-up to Monday’s EU Council meeting,” he said.
“The negotiating position which George Eustice will be adopting has been informed by months of meetings with Ministers like Richard from the devolved administrations, as well as the industry and environmental groups.
“Richard has also been involved in meetings with EU Fisheries Commissioner Karmenu Vella, Elizabeth Truss, the UK Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and George Eustice.
“Following the recommendations of the Smith Commission, I called for us to hit the reset button on the relationship between the Scottish and UK governments.
“As with the invitation to Angela Constance, the Scottish government’s education and lifelong learning secretary, to speak on behalf of the UK at the EU Youth, Culture and Sport Council in Brussels today (Friday) I want to see even more co-operation between the two administrations for the greater good of Scotland and indeed, the UK, as a whole.”
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