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Brexit deal: Biscuit boom or fishing wipeout?

Joshua Aitken
BBC Politics North
BBC Julie Minns, Lord Kirkhope, and Andrew Husband sitting on the BBC Politics North red sofa. Minns, with a brown bob cut and wearing an orangey red half sleeve jacket and black top looks to her left with her face contorted slightly as if she is mid laugh or cry. In the middle with receding but still mainly light brown hair, Kirkhope wears the standard dark suit, dark tie, light shirt combo. He's mid sentence and has both hands stretched out in front of him. His expression could be that of someone hoping to convince, but might be exasperation. Husband has gone office casual. Black jacket over a blue shirt with the top buttons undone. Grey trousered, no tie, neat brown hair that has a fair amount of volume. With his hands lightly clasped in front of him, his mouth is turned up at one side, perhaps showing a lack of agreement with Kirkhope, or perhaps just confusion. There are four BBC Politics branded mugs on the table in front of them, perhaps for thirst avoidance, perhaps for aesthetically repetitive marketing. BBC
The UK-EU trade deal may be new, but the arguments have a more vintage feel

Reform UK's newest council leader has claimed the government's trade deal with the EU will see the "wipeout" of the British fishing industry.

On Monday, the government announced a new agreement to reduce red tape in areas including food standards, passport control and defence, while in turn allowing EU fishing boats continued access to UK waters until 2038.

Durham County councillor Andrew Husband said the government had "given away quite a lot to go through the airport a little bit quicker."

However, Labour MP Julie Minns defended the policy on fishing, as did Conservative peer Lord Kirkhope, and proclaimed the new deal as "fantastic news for biscuits" manufactured in her Carlisle constituency.

Speaking on BBC Politics North, Husband said: "What you've got now is an ageing population in the fishing industry, especially in the North East of England, who now are going to see a further 12 years of massive competition in the British waters.

"That is not going to encourage new fishermen to come through, in fact what will happen is you'll see a wipeout of the British fishing industry in the next 12 years unless there's a change of government in four years time."

Minns retorted: "It's exactly the same Brexit freedoms deal that the last Conservative government negotiated, this is about actually future proofing it."

Andrew Husband sitting on the Politics North sofa with the teal background behind him.
Andrew Husband was elected leader of Durham County Council after a landslide win for Reform UK in the 2025 local elections.

Speaking on behalf of the Conservatives, Lord Kirkhope of Harrogate - who describes himself as "pro-EU" - said the deal was in fact good news for the fishing industry.

He told presenter Helen Richardson: "Lobsters on every restaurant table in Paris and Brussels now will not cost as much and so will be sold in greater numbers.

"Our inshore fishermen all round Yorkshire for instance are really going to benefit here from this deal.

"I'm reluctant to give too much to the government, but this deal is a good start."

Lord Kirkhope sits on the Politics North sofa wearing a navy suit and site and a pale yellow shirt.
Lord Kirkhope of Harrogate spent many years as a member of the European Parliament

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch had hit out at the deal, saying: "We're becoming a rule-taker from Brussels once again,"

When pushed, former MEP Lord Kirkhope accepted significant differences with the party leader.

"I don't agree about some of the things that have been said by my leader, and others, on this particular theme."

He added: "I am saying that it would be madness in the world in which we now live, with all the new international pressures, that we do not make the very best of the relationship with our biggest market and our closest neighbours."

Julie Minns sitting on the Politics North sofa with the teal background behind her.
Julie Minns asked the Prime Minister about the biscuit factory in the House of Commons earlier this week.

Julie Minns' Carlisle constituency is home to one of the UK's oldest biscuit factories, now owned by McVities, which first opened in 1831.

On Tuesday she celebrated the impact of the new trade deal in the Commons, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer branding the deal "good for biscuits."

Minns told the BBC: "He said it was good news for biscuits, good news for business.

"I'd also add it's good news for Britain as well.

"We live in a very very uncertain world. We need that closer tie with our nearest European neighbours.

BBC Politics North airs at 10:00BST on BBC One. Catch up with latest episodes now on the BBC iPlayer.

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