By Scottish Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing

AT A time when so many people are trying to keep their heads above the water as we negotiate the economic crisis brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, the UK Government’s so-called internal market proposals are unwelcome and unnecessary to say the least.

To put it simply, the Scottish Government sees these proposals as the biggest threat to devolution since 1999 and will vigorously oppose them at every turn.

Not only would they be detrimental to businesses, consumers and citizens across Scotland, they would fundamentally undermine legitimate devolved policy choices on a range of matters, including the environment, public health and social protections.

This is not a simple matter of replacing EU rules with UK rules.

The EU single market is underpinned by principles such as subsidiarity and proportionality, and recognises the need to balance economic goals with other priorities. Importantly, it is also agreed by member states equally, backed up by the institutions of the EU.

The UK Government seeks to impose, not agree – and proposes none of the safeguards of the EU single market.

Read more - Internal strife over market rules and food standards

Different standards have been applied across the UK for many years with no detriment to business or consumers. In more than four years of discussion with the UK Government, no example – not one – has ever been given of where the ‘internal market’ is at risk from devolution.

And it’s not just the Scottish Government that has serious concerns. Stakeholder discussions and responses to this White Paper show that a wide range of stakeholders across business, the environment, public health, food standards, law and agriculture all have grave concerns about the impact on jobs, consumer confidence, the environment as well as the threat to devolution.

The Welsh and Northern Irish devolved administrations have also raised serious questions about the proposals. I fully agree with Jeremy Miles, Welsh Government minister for European Transition, who said this represents a “direct attack on the current model of devolution”.

Any suggestion farmers in particular will ultimately welcome this move completely ignores the fact the National Farmers Union of Scotland (NFUS) and the Scottish Crofting Federation have both publicly expressed very serious concerns about this proposal. The NFUS has highlighted this would simply lead to a race to the bottom – forcing the choice between upholding high standards of production or maintaining the competitiveness of agricultural businesses.

The NFUS has described the UK Government proposals a “significant threat to devolution”, adding that they would “give the UK Government a final say in areas of devolved policy, such as agriculture, the environment or animal health and welfare.”

Any suggestion that a trade deal with the US resulting in lower food standards would simply have to be accepted in Scotland, is unthinkable.

No-one disputes that a well-functioning UK-wide market is central to Scottish agriculture and our food and drink sector, which amongst other things is fundamental to the long-term sustainability of the Scottish red meat industry. England and Wales remain the most common point of sale amounting to approximately 69% of a sector that contributes around £2 billion each year to our economy.

That is why we already have a process in place to protect intra-UK trade and manage divergence in the UK after leaving the structures of the EU. We have been working on these common frameworks – to which we are committed – across the UK in good faith.

I urge the UK Government to listen to our farmers and crofters, as well as to the devolved administrations and scrap this unnecessary and damaging White Paper.

Read more - Scottish Secretary of State defends controversial White Paper on the Uk's internal market