Exchanges in the Scottish parliament yesterday over Brexit were interesting, necessary, but also just a little bit depressing. Interesting because they revealed what our politicians are fixated on; necessary because some inconvenient realities were pushed under certain noses; but just that touch depressing because they showed how stuck in a well-worn parochial rut to the exclusion of much bigger concerns our parliament is. At the core of Scotland’s debate about how to deal with Brexit is the big question, certainly to many business interests, of how badly it may disrupt trading relationships with the EU and hence how seriously it might hurt the economy. Keith Brown, economy secretary, called the debate, seeking united parliamentary backing for the government’s stance that the Brexit negotiations should result…

Source: The Times November 16, 2016 00:05 UTC