Scottish Conservative trade spokesperson Jamie Halcro Johnston has called on the Scottish Government to back a UK-India trade deal which could be a major boost for the Scottish whisky industry.
Highlighting what he said was a “confused” position from the SNP on a trade with India, the Highlands and Islands MSP said that, despite Scottish Minister Neil Gray MSP travelling to Mumbai to promote Scottish whisky, the SNP Government had refused to back a potential UK-India trade deal despite one being supported by the Scottish Whisky Association.
Jamie Halcro Johnston said:
“Scotch whisky is an iconic Scottish export, and one produced in communities across the Highlands and Islands, providing vitally important jobs and investment.
“And so it seems absolutely extraordinary that the Minister would travel to India - with the entirely admirable aim of promoting Scotch whisky in a huge market, one which is already our second-largest export destination by volume – only to be shot in the foot by his own SNP Government, which can’t bring itself to welcome a potential UK-India trade deal.
“That’s despite the Scottish Whisky Association recognising the opportunities a deal could provide and the potential to increase already strong export of Scotch to India.
“It’s time for the SNP to set aside their usual politicking and got properly behind a Scottish industry that supports thousands of jobs and livelihoods, many of which are in the Highlands and Islands.”
