Theresa May has slammed the door on genuine involvement of the Scottish Government, MSPs/MPs and civil society in framing the UK Government’s response to that fateful vote of June 23 and negotiations with the EU’s troika of institutions: Council, Commission and Parliament. Instead, like Henry VIII, and using his 16C prerogatives, the executive branch – the PM and a handful of cabinet colleagues, officials, advisers etc – will decide everything. Behind closed doors.

Where does that leave Scotland? What are its options? What will be its place in Europe – that Nicola Sturgeon has pledged to retain? Here we begin exploring what’s happened and what might lie ahead with edited extracts from a David Hume Institute seminar that took place in Edinburgh in mid-September (here for more audio/slides). Professors John Curtice, Drew Scott and Christina Boswell examine the vote and its aftermath, the economic and trading options and, not least since May has made it the key policy of her supposedly “caring” government, immigration.

Scotland voted decisively to Remain, England to Leave. Their interests do not coincide. Here and in future podcasts/posts we will explore this continuing and growing cleavage further. Can it be overcome? If so, how? Or, if the binary choice is Scotland in the UK or Scotland in the EU, which will Scots choose? Is there a middle way? A “bespoke” deal as May fondly imagines?

httpss://soundcloud.com/sceptical-scot/sceptical-scot-october-2016?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=email