THE SCOTTISH Government has been told to reconsider its “ideological” opposition to free ports.

Free ports have been brought forward by the UK Government and would grant ports special tax-free status to improve post-Brexit trade.

But the Scottish Government has indicated it may reject the proposal being rolled out north of the border, with Trade Minister Ivan McKee warning a lack of information made it “very difficult for us to make a determination as to whether we see these as adding value”.

But Scottish port bosses have warned they have little confidence that the Scottish Government will not “reject” the proposals.

Simon Brebner, vice chairman of the Scottish Ports group and chief executive of the Peterhead Port Authority, said: “Free ports have the ability to transform both ports and regions to solve a generation of new challenges that we have.

“The government has confirmed the bidding process and it will be opening shortly.”

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He added: “The UK Government will work with devolved administration in Scotland and we await next steps as to what will happen.

“At this stage, in our discussions with Scottish Government, we haven’t been given any assurances that they will take part in the free port process. In fact, they have said they might even reject the free port opportunity.”

Scottish Conservative leader, Douglas Ross has called on the Scottish Government to “get back behind this”, claiming the policy wil benefit Scotland’s wider economy, as well as ports.

He said: “If I was the Scottish Government right now, I’d be looking at absolutely every opportunity to support and stimulate the economy and I wouldn’t rule anything out.

“I think it’s really disappointing that they’ve taken this approach to free ports for their own ideological reasons.”

Mr Ross has called on both governments to “work together to support businesses”.

He said: “I will absolutely do everything possible to convince the Scottish Government to look beyond their own political views and get behind this.

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“We also need to see this stopped across the board – only last week we found out that the national infrastructure plans form the UK Government, which will deliver more jobs and investment in the road and rail network across Scotland, we’ve seen the Scottish Government ministers tell Transport Scotland not to engage with their UK Government counterparts.

“That is totally counterproductive – it goes against everything we are trying to do to work together to build consensus, to build back better and I just think they need to take their blinkers off and look at what is needed to get Scotland moving again.”

Tory MSP Peter Chapman quizzed Nicola Sturgeon about her party’s lack of enthusiasm for free ports at last week’s First Minister’s Questions.

Mr Chapman said the stance was a “reckless position” and showed a “total lack of ambition for the Scottish economy”.

The First Minister insisted that free ports are not “any substitute for being a full member of the single market, which the Conservatives are of course ripping us out of against our will”.

She added: “Let the Conservatives tell us exactly what they mean about free ports, how they will work and whether they are anything other than a race to the bottom.

“We will of course listen to and support anything that is in the interest of Scotland. What is absolutely against that interest right now is the Tories’ obsession with Brexit, and their determination to drag us out of the single market and the European Union and to potentially leave the transition period with no deal.”