'I'm a fisherman - I'm moving to Spain because of Starmer's EU deal'

A British fisherman has hit out at the Government's new deal with the which . leader Kemi Badenoch accused the Prime Minister of "selling our fishermen down the river" and , leader said had "truly sold out" Britain's fishing industry.

Now, a fisherman based in Brixham, , has waded in with his own criticism, describing as an "absolute idiot". Tom Parker, 37, who has been a fisherman since he was 16, said he is now planning to leave the for as the trade is "collapsing". He said: "I am looking for a new country. It is time to leave.

"I have owned a boat for five years. I am looking to move into Spain. The regulations around Spain are a lot easier to get on with than in the UK.

"At the moment it is out of the talking phase. I was looking at Australia but the regulations are just as bad."

The fishing agreement was one of the key parts of the reset deal, which described as "win-win", announced on Monday.

There will be no change to current access to fish for coastal communities and no reduction in the British quota or increase in the quota the is allowed to catch.

The 's current fishing deal with the ends next year and said this would have meant year-on-year negotiations over fishing access.

He insisted fisheries would be better off under the deal, pointing particularly to the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement with the bloc.

He said the new agreement would make it easier for fishermen to sell their catch to Europe.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, said: "It is incredibly important for fish, because over 70% of our seafood goes into the European market.

"So, for the first time under this arrangement, our fishing communities are able to sell more easily into the European market."

Mr Parker said: "They always played out on fishery and how we don't need fishing but the rest of the EU is very interested to get hold of the fishing rights in the UK - it makes you wonder how many brain cells these politicians have got.

"I don't think the EU is the problem - the UK Government haven't got a clue on any economics.

"It is out of our control - they don't care. They are going to push their agenda.

"Keir Starmer is an absolute idiot. He has got no clue on business. He just says tax the rich."

He went on to paint a bleak picture of Britain's fishing industry.

"Most fishermen are in their 60s - the whole thing is collapsing anyway," he said. "If there are no fisherman there is no one on the boats.

"Fifty per cent of fishermen are not from the UK. There aren't any younger fishermen coming through. The whole industry is dying and it is due to over regulation and it is suffocated by the bureaucracy."

Other key elements of the new UK-EU deal include a boost to defence co-operaiton and an agreement to work towards a youth mobility scheme.

Critics of the deal accused the Prime Minister of a "Brexit betrayal".

argued the deal, alongside new agreements with the US and India, shows the UK is "back on the world stage".