Election / Tory fish spokesman backs Goodlad

THE SCOTTISH Conservative fisheries spokesman has said the party’s by-election candidate Brydon Goodlad would be a “champion” for the sector if elected to Holyrood.

North-east region MSP Peter Chapman came to Shetland this week to campaign in the upcoming by-election.

Chapman met local representatives of the Shetland Fish Producers Association and visited the Lerwick fish market before joining Goodlad on the campaign trail.

Chapman said during his visit: “As we prepare to leave the EU, powers over fisheries will be returning from Brussels to Holyrood rather than Westminster.

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“That means that MSPs will play a very important role in the future of the industry.

“Brydon Goodlad is a great local candidate and would be a real champion for the fishing sector here in Shetland.

“I have talked with local industry representatives here who share the enthusiasm of fishermen in the north-east of Scotland about the opportunities that Brexit can bring.

He said that UK fishermen only caught about 40 per cent of the fish in their own waters, with the rest caught by EU fishermen.

“That has to change, and that is the prize that Brexit can deliver,” said Chapman
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Walls based Goodlad said: “Shetland needs a strong voice at Holyrood – and one that is not going to stand in the way of the will of the people when it comes to Brexit.

“I am the only candidate committed to respecting the outcome of the 2016 referendum.

“The UK Government has pledged that the Scottish Parliament will have significant new powers over fisheries after we leave the EU.

“There is a huge opportunity to grow our fishing industry.

“Unfortunately, the SNP want to keep our fishermen shackled to the Common Fisheries Policy and the Liberal Democrats want to overturn the referendum altogether.

“I will fight the corner of Shetland, and stand up for our fishing industry if elected as the local MSP.”

There are ten candidates contesting the Shetland by-election on 29 August.

They are in alphabetical order: Johan Adamson (Scottish Labour), Brydon Goodlad (Scottish Conservatives), Stuart Martin (UKIP), Debra Nicolson (Scottish Greens), Ian Scott (independent), Michael Stout (independent), Peter Tait (independent), Ryan Thomson (independent), Tom Wills (SNP) and Beatrice Wishart (Scottish Liberal Democrats).

Read more about all ten candidates at our special Shetland by-election page at: https://www.shetnews.co.uk/category/features/election-2019/