Moray MP Douglas Ross has welcomed news that the UK and EU have signed a historic trade deal.
The Prime Minister announced today that a "zero tariff, zero quota" deal had been agreed following months of negotiations.
Boris Johnson said that the Conservative government had delivered on the result of the 2016 referendum and the 2019 general election manifesto commitment to take back control of money, borders, laws, trade and fisheries.
Scottish Conservative MP for Moray Douglas Ross said:
"This is very welcome news - delivered just in time for Christmas.
"Credit must go to the UK and EU negotiating teams for working extremely hard for many months to complete a very complex trade agreement.
"It was important for us to seek to avoid what would have been a damaging 'no deal' outcome but this result shows the Government were right not to introduce a further delay.
"I was always against extending the period for the talks because that would simply have delayed a final decision being reached. This deal means we can go into 2021 focusing solely on Covid-19 and rebuilding our economy from the pandemic, not continuing to debate Brexit.
"This trade deal will protect jobs and trade with our European neighbours - which is vitally important for our businesses here in Moray.
"And of course, we will be taking sovereign control over our coastal waters as we leave the hated Common Fisheries Policy.
"The Prime Minister has said today that EU catches in UK waters will reduce year on year during a five-and-a-half-year transition period before we move to annual negotiations, just like every other independent coastal state. The UK Government will also provide a £100m fund to support our fishing industry through the transition.
“I now hope every MP will look seriously at the deal that has been agreed, allow Parliament to scrutinise it and then decide if they will vote for a deal or to have no deal from the 1st January. They are the only two options we will have when Parliament is recalled on the 30th December.
"It is now time for all of us to put division behind us and get on with tackling Coronavirus and rebuilding our economy from the pandemic."