More heat than light in Brexit debate

Today we report the Brexit-related concerns of Dundee law professor Alan Page. The academic takes ministers to task for failing to keep the public updated with progress as Britain continues to negotiate its departure from the EU.

Saying it is “impossible” to understand what is going on, he also expresses fears that MSPS know precious little more than lay members of the public.

The arguments, presented to a Holyrood committee, are well made.

While it would have been naive to assume that the public would be privy to every twist and turn in the negotiating process, we might reasonably have expected to have been informed by now as to what powers Holyrood would be granted.

Professor Page is quite right to express concern over the apparent impasse.

Is Scotland genuinely being denied rights it deserves due to a “power grab” or is Westminster simply acting in the best interests of the UK as a whole?

Given the astonishing lack of information, it is indeed impossible for most people to know.

The process of withdrawing from the EU is clearly complex but both the UK and Scottish governments would be well advised to provide some form of meaningful progress updates rather than resorting to the kind of petty political bickering which helps nobody.