Moray By-election

'Fishing matters to Scotland and it matters to Moray. That is why it also matters to the SNP.' SNP candidate Richard Lochhead, 10 th April 2006.

Executive Meddling in Future of Vital Moray Industry

From the Scottish National Party, 10 th April 2006

The Labour/Liberal Democrat Executive are meddling in Parliamentary business says Richard Lochhead, the SNP candidate in the Moray by-election, after a leaked e-mail showed that they tried to discourage a Westminster Fisheries Minister from speaking to the Scottish Parliament's European Committee about repatriating the Commons Fisheries Policy.

Mr Lochhead, who is the SNP's Fisheries spokesperson, has campaigned strongly on the issue of Scottish fisheries since he was elected to the Scottish Parliament in 1999. Tomorrow he will be visiting Buckie to raise the issue of fishing in the by-election and how the Tories sold out the industry in 1973.

Commenting Mr Lochhead said:

"This just shows how the Executive works in hand in glove with London to frustrate the future of Scotland's fishing industry. That they will connive to stop full accountability of how Scottish fishing is losing out because of the CFP shows they don't think fishing matters.

"The CFP has been an unmitigated disaster for the Scottish fishing industry and the SNP support the repatriation of power over fishing to Scotland. The SNP is the only party which has a consistent track record of supporting Scottish fishing. The Tories thought it was expendable and the Labour/Liberal Democrat Executive have just continued the trend.

"Fishing matters to Scotland and it matters to Moray. That is why it also matters to the SNP."