Fishing’s betrayal; why I regret Brexit vote – Yorkshire Post Letters

I WAS moved by The Yorkshire Post report (May 1) that the last Hull deep sea trawler Kirkella is likely to be laid up after Britain failed to secure a fisheries deal with Norway.

Did that story feature in national papers? The fisheries deal was a disaster for Britain yet Opposition politicians have failed to highlight it sufficiently.

I recently moved back to God’s Own County after years in road transport and logistics. Now my former colleagues tell me they are fed up with problems caused by the Government’s EU deal and the way their problems are ignored by Ministers.

Yes, I voted to leave the EU but the Government-made mess in subsequent negotiations makes me think I was mistaken. Reading letters in The Yorkshire Post defending Boris Johnson about the Downing Street refurbishment, I am left feeling that the PM got off lightly. There are many more important areas where he and his Cabinet failed us all.

From: Ian Richardson, Beverley,

YOUR Editorial concerning the apology due to the owners and crew of the Hull trawler Kirkella again put me in mind of how that unworthy ruler, Macbeth, mirrors Boris Johnson (The Yorkshire Post, May 1).

Fishing rights, along with the return of our blue passports, was meant to be the most obvious benefit of leaving the EU; try telling that to the 100 workers destined to lose their livelihoods as a direct consequence of Johnson’s duplicity over the real consequences of Brexit for our coastal communities.

That both Macbeth and Boris emerged as unlikely rulers of their respective lands is undoubted, yet equally assuredly both ‘played most foully for it’.

We have no knowledge of Lady Macbeth’s taste in castle decor, yet her role in her husband’s impending doom might well be repeated by the opulent desires of Lady Carrie (Symonds).

The downfall of the Scottish king was spectacular and deserved; perhaps a prompt arrival of Birnam Wood to the flat above Number 11 Downing Street awaits?

From: Ken Cooke, Ilkley.

THE Yorkshire Post’s ‘Comment’ said that the Kirkella crew and the fishing industry were owed an apology for Boris Johnson’s Brexit betrayal. This only mentioned that talks had failed, but didn’t explain why.

Before Brexit fans blame the vindictive EU, they need to understand that, in line with pre-Brexit agreements, member states had access quotas to Norwegian waters as they had to British waters. Since Brexit the UK had to make its own deal with Norway – not a member of the EU – and the agreement was that, in return, Norway would have access to British waters.

Sounds fair? Well, in the pursuit of sovereignty, the UK then decided unilaterally not to allow Norwegian vessels into British waters. Now, that’s not fair, is it? So the Norwegians, reasonable folk that they are, said “Same to you then”. And that’s why the Kirkella is now laid up and Norwegian ships will supply our cod.

From: Thomas W Jefferson, Howden, Goole.

DISAPPOINTINGLY, your Comment and coverage of the failure to reach an agreement with Norway on fishing rights does not give the full context.

We previously had an agreement – negotiated for us by the EU – that allowed Norway to take eight times the tonnage from our waters than we were allowed to take from theirs.

In the current negotiations we suggested that Norway should make payment for that access. Norway, unsurprisingly, preferred the previous arrangements and could not move close enough to our reasonable request. Tonnages therefore revert to country of origin.

From: Richard Wilson, Chair, Leeds for Europe.

YOUR front-page story in which a Conservative politician calls on the Government to “reduce red tape (and serious barriers) that harms both sides” underlines what a disastrous Brexit deal Boris Johnson has delivered (The Yorkshire Post, April 29).

British business couldn’t be clearer: Brexit isn’t working. Negotiating Single Market and Customs Union access – similar to what’s enjoyed by non-European Union members such as Norway and Switzerland – would address their concerns.

Continued Single Market access was part of Vote Leave’s Soft Brexit pitch in 2016. It’s probably too late for Sir Keir Starmer and Labour to change their “Don’t mention Brexit” strategy before Thursday’s (May 6) elections. But hopefully afterwards they’ll be emboldened, if Tory sleaze allegations stick.

It would be ironic if Labour ended up delivering on Boris Johnson’s original Single Market membership promises!

From: Gordon Lawrence, Sheffield.

REMAINERS can’t deny that law-making under Brexit is far more meaningful, now, than it was when we were under the jurisdiction of Brussels. Unfortunately, the final agreement, I admit now, was hardly a clean divorce.

But it has given us a great deal of freedom to act independently as our vaccination programme, for instance, was able to evade the EU Commission’s ponderous incompetence when it was given the task, itself, of managing the rollout. Our exemption from that debacle has saved a multitude of deaths in Britain.

From: Sam Wilmott, Bingley.

IF Boris Johnson and George Eustice can’t be bothered to come to Hull (The Yorkshire Post, May 1), as you demand, and explain the consequences of their Brexit deal to the fishing industry, it will demonstrate cowardice and a lack of statesmanship unworthy of their respective offices.

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