Tory leader calls for politicians to lay aside differences to help resolve fish exports debacle

A plea has been made for Scotland’s governments to avoid turning the fishing exports debacle into a constitutional row.

Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross has also urged “vital” compensation for the industry be immediately delivered.

Raising the issue with Defra secretary George Eustice in the House of Commons, Mr Ross asked that the UK government deliver compensation for unavoidable export losses.

But he also called on the Scottish government to accept its side of responsibility and deal with ongoing issues involving its agency Food Standards Scotland, which he said were holding up exports within Scotland.

Meanwhile, in the Scottish Parliament, Tory cabinet secretary for the rural economy Jamie Halcro Johnston requested that the SNP accept the offer of help from the UK government to clear up the issues at the food standards agency.