THE director of the Scottish Retail Consortium has stressed the importance of getting a fair deal for consumers in the Brexit negotiations.

Speaking after a business roundtable hosted by Scottish secretary David Mundell, David Lonsdale said that the best way for retailers to keep prices down is for the UK to negotiate a tariff-free deal with the rest of the EU.

“Without this, everyday staples such as food and clothing would face significant import costs which would be difficult for retailers to absorb and could increase prices on shop shelves,” he said.

That would “put added pressure on stretched household budgets”, he added.