In a direct exchange with Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Mr. Poynton challenged the Scottish National Party's opposition to the deal, noting that major Scottish business organisations and industry bodies have warmly welcomed the agreement.
During the parliamentary statement on the UK-EU Summit, Mr. Poynton asked the Prime Minister: "When it comes to evaluating the merits of the deal, who would the Prime Minister suggest my Livingston constituents listen to? Should it be the Scottish Chamber of Commerce, the NFU Scotland or Scottish Salmon, all who have welcomed the deal? Or should they listen to John Swinney, who's lining up the Leader of the Opposition and the Member for Clacton [Nigel Farage] at a desperate, misguided attempt to try and create a constitutional grievance, a deal for which the Deputy First Minister has called 'important progress'?"
In response, the Prime Minister said: "Well, I was surprised to see the SNP First Minister line up with Reform and the Leader of the opposition against a deal which has been welcomed by Salmon Scotland. Welcomed by Salmon Scotland, a huge exporter from Scotland, because they know it's good for their business. But that's a pretty small and miserable club for the SNP to be in."
The new agreement with the European Union follows extensive negotiations over the past six months and represents the third major international deal struck by the government in as many weeks, following new agreements with the United States and India.
The deal includes a significant Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement that will make it easier for Scottish food and drink businesses to export their products to EU markets by reducing red tape and bureaucracy that had placed burdens on businesses since Brexit.
For Scottish salmon – the UK's biggest food export – the deal brings particularly welcome news, addressing the £75 million drop in exports to the EU seen from 2019 to 2023 due to increased red tape. Scottish seed potato farmers, who have been banned from selling their world-renowned products in Europe since 2021, will also regain access to crucial EU markets.
The agreement is set to benefit key Scottish industries including energy, agrifood, and defence sectors, which form a proportionally larger part of Scotland's economy compared to the UK as a whole.
In the energy sector, the deal will make it cheaper and easier to sell electricity to the EU, potentially accelerating investment in offshore wind in the North Sea, creating jobs and cutting costs. The linking of the UK and EU emissions trading schemes will provide certainty for investors in the North Sea and protect Scottish industries from EU carbon border taxes.
For West Lothian residents and businesses, the agreement promises not only improved trade prospects but also restored opportunities for young Scots to live and work in the EU through a new youth mobility scheme. The government is also exploring association with the Erasmus+ program, which would offer educational opportunities for learners across Scotland.