kieran andrews

Almost exactly five months ago, Nicola Sturgeon told MSPs David Davis had set up a hotline to allow communication between the two governments.

There was genuine laughter – if anyone can remember such a thing – across the chamber, especially when it was claimed the UK Brexit Secretary had failed to answer any calls.

Such an image instantly cast my mind back to the bright red telephone inside a bell jar used by Batman to communicate with Commissioner Gordon in the 1960s TV series starring Adam West.

Theresa May should have at least had a signal shine into the sky to let the First Minister know an announcement on the Article 50 trigger date was coming.

Officially, the Conservatives are hitting back robustly and pointing out that the same courtesy was not afforded to the Prime Minister when Sturgeon outlined her intention to hold a second independence referendum.

Privately, though, some are despairing at yet another clumsy handling of an issue at the heart of the Scottish independence debate.

As Holyrood’s main chamber prepares to spend two days ignoring schools, hospitals and community safety to focus on the constitution, the SNP leadership now has a great big stick to beat the UK Government over the head.

Scottish ministers are aggrieved at not being afforded the courtesy of a call and that will be used to spin May’s “not now” on a referendum to “not ever”.

It was a calamitous error by Downing Street and it allows Westminster to once again be painted as a super villain.