How does the First Minister respond to reports today that Brexit has cost Scotland up to £100 million a year in salmon exports? Companies have faced increased costs due to the hard Brexit that the Tories forced on Scotland, and Labour, too, has now reportedly rowed back on its pledge to renegotiate the United Kingdom’s Brexit deal. Does the First Minister agree that, in continuing to endorse Brexit, both the Tories and Labour are showing little regard for that vital industry?

I could not agree more. There is no doubt—and almost all of the independent research shows—that Brexit has been an unmitigated, complete and utter disaster for our economy. The Office for Budget Responsibility’s forecast suggests that the UK economy will reduce by 4 per cent because of the impacts of Brexit.

I expect the Conservatives, who are hard Brexiteers, to continue down that disastrous path, but I cannot understand why Labour is falling in behind the Conservatives and supporting a hard Brexit. Scotland’s food and drink sector has borne the brunt of Brexit, which has disrupted supply chains, created new barriers to trade and driven up food prices. [

Interruption

.] Anas Sarwar and Jackie Baillie are laughing at the damage that has been done to the food and drink sector. It is no laughing matter, because it is crystal clear that there is a Westminster consensus in favour of Brexit, no matter what the cost to Scotland is. The only way to stop that damage and rejoin the European Union is for Scotland to become an independent nation.