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UK Fisheries Minister, Victoria Prentis has said that she did not read the Brexit deal on Christmas Eve because she was busy with a Nativity trail
The UK Fisheries Minister told a House of Lords Committee yesterday that she did not read the fisheries framework agreement when it was published on Christmas Eve, but instead was “very busy organising the Nativity trail.”
Fisheries Minister, Victoria Prentis was too busy with Christmas preparations on the day the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) was agreed to spend time examining what is one of the most important documents in the recent history of the United Kingdom.
She added: “I think the deal is a good one for the UK, in fisheries terms, it’s true to say that we had, as an industry, dreamed some pretty big dreams and in some cases it’s true to say that we didn’t get everything we asked for.”
The minister also caused concern after suggesting one solution to border delays was for the British public to eat more fish.
“We export 70% of what we catch in this country to the EU; we’re ambitious to carry on at that level but we will, I’m sure, also in the future want to eat more of what we catch here.”
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The Scottish National Party is now demanding that the minister resign.
There has been widespread criticism of the Brexit agreement with fishing organisations and operators believing it delivered only a fraction of the quotas that Britain is entitled to.
The village #nativity looked a little different from usual but it was so lovely to stick to our Christmas Eve tradition and come together on our nativity trail #christmas #Christmas2020 #MerryChristmas pic.twitter.com/2j5HO8d8tW
— Victoria Prentis (@VictoriaPrentis) December 24, 2020
The Fisheries Minister’s comments came after the UK Parliament’s SNP leader Ian Blackford questioned Prime Minister on the Government’s response to the ongoing border crisis which is costing the Scottish fishing industry up to £1 million a day.
In his response, the PM pledged £100 million in aid to help the Scottish seafood industry and the seafood industry across the whole of the UK. He went on to say that it was the SNP’s hairbrained scheme to break up the United Kingdom and to had back control of Scottish fisheries to Brussels.
In response, Mr Blackford branded the response as an “insult” to fishermen when a third of the fleet is tied-up in harbours across Scotland pointing out that Ireland is to receive €1 billion in support from the EU.
Overly honest moment of the day: Defra minister Victoria Prentis admitted she was too busy "organising the local nativity trail" to read the fisheries agreement in the Brexit deal when it was published on Christmas Eve pic.twitter.com/SM4AjgHoCD
— Alain Tolhurst (@Alain_Tolhurst) January 13, 2021
