THE Scottish fishing industry would back a Norway-style soft Brexit, it has been reported.

Under this option, which has repeatedly been suggested by the Scottish Government for the whole of the UK, Britain would replace EU membership with temporary membership of the European Free Trade Association (Efta), giving full access to the single market in return for following EU rules and paying into the EU budget.

However, it would not have to sign up to the common fisheries policy. Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland are members of Efta but are not in the EU.

“A Norway-style agreement wouldn’t hold any great fears for the fishing industry since we would be out of the [common fisheries policy],” a source told The Times.

The move has long been resisted by Prime Minister Theresa May as it would allow free movement of people, which she has said is one of her Brexit “red lines”.

However, in the absence of agreement at Westminster on a way forward to break the current parliamentary deadlock, reports suggest a number of Scottish Tories are backing a soft Brexit option.

Last weekend, Donald Cameron, the MSP and Scottish Conservative policy co-ordinator, and Paul Masterson, the Scottish Tory MP, supported remaining in the single market and customs union.

Cameron said Norway-plus, in which Britain would remain in the single market and be outside the EU but have a customs union arrangement with the EU, represented an “off the shelf” solution to Brexit that allowed the UK to leave the EU on schedule in March.

“For any Unionist who cares about the integrity of the UK, Norway-plus has much to commend it. It is a true whole-UK approach that solves issues around the Irish border at a stroke because there would be no need for a new VAT, customs or regulatory

frontier,” Cameron said.

Masterton said: “Crucially, Norway-plus respects the outcome of the referendum, a result which was decisive but not overwhelming. It offers something to both leave and remain. We leave the common fisheries policy, the common agricultural policy and the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice.”

Both men acknowledged the challenges the approach would bring, including having to join Efta.

Cameron said: “We would still pay into the EU without having any vote on the rules that govern the single market. Nevertheless, our contributions would be significantly less than they are now and, as a major European economy, we would still wield a significant degree of ‘soft’ influence.

“Efta states are unfairly characterised as “rule-takers”, but are in fact involved in key EU ‘decision-shaping’ mechanisms as well as having participation rights in a number of EU programmes.”

Scottish Brexit Secretary Michael Russell said: “This is a welcome development, separating at least some Tories in Scotland from the extremists in the party.”