JOHN FORMER SPOKESMAN EDWARD SENIOR FOR SCOTLAND STRONGER IN EUROPE AND SCOTLAND ADVISER TO OPEN BRITAIN

I stand by every word we said in the 2016 campaign in Scotland.

Unlike many, I have not undertaken a retrospective cull of social media.

Looking back, I daren’t guess where we go next, as I would never have predicted how conflicted the UK now seems by the vague promise of leaving the EU.

Lead Leavers spoke in late 2016 of their fear that Article 50 would be blocked or delayed. Others prophesied that “we will achieve Brexit, even if it takes an election, a purge of the Europhiles”.

Clegg and Miliband were labelled as “Quislings” by MEPs with both a dreadful grasp of modern history and warm feelings for the West’s farright.

Even now, there is little acceptance that blaming the other side won’t wash and putting deadlines and ideology over detailed preparation was short-changing the UK public.

An article of mine in May 2016 included a familiar refrain from the campaign, of “a fractured Leave campaign with no blueprint, no white paper and no agreement what the future might bring”.

At the outset, one lead Leaver criticised some Remain voters as “deeply offended by optimism”.

This week, 25 months since the vote, 16 months from Article 50 and only eight months from the UK’s departure from the EU, political figures sought instead to reassure the UK not to worry about emergency storage of food and medicines and to still believe that a solution in Northern Ireland was easy.

We have been told planning was well under way, every outcome considered, detailed analysis in hand – yet revealing it would be to “show our hand” as if it were a card game and our nearest neighbours our opponents.

Yet at this late stage the most recent attempt to negotiate consensus within the Leave camp has divided it yet again.

Those who negotiate on behalf of 27 neighbouring countries are required to point out that “maintaining control of our money, law and borders” also applies to the EU.

I said then and I say again: “Those who asked for it, now have their country back. I dearly hope they have thought through what they wish to do with it and how.”