John Swinney and Sir Keir Starmer both addressed the same big issue last week.

However, while both in essence expressing pro-European sentiments, the hymn sheets from which they were singing could hardly have been more different, writes Ian McConnell.

Brexit has been in focus in the last week north and south of the Border.

Under-pressure Sir Keir Starmer went big on Europe last Monday in a major speech which was somewhat overshadowed by speculation over his future as Prime Minister.

And his focus was interesting, given how timid Labour was on Brexit for so long.

Sadly, Labour’s red lines of not taking the UK back into the European Union, single market or even the customs union remain, at least for now, and they basically prevent the ongoing damage of Brexit being mitigated in any meaningful macroeconomic sense.

Meanwhile, First Minister John Swinney, in an exclusive interview with Brian Taylor for The Herald which provided fascinating content across a raft of topics, homed in on Brexit when he was asked about his strategy on an independence referendum.

Sir Keir declared last Monday: “The last government was defined by breaking our relationship with Europe. This Labour government will be defined by rebuilding our relationship with Europe, by putting Britain at the heart of Europe, so that we are stronger on the economy, stronger on trade, stronger on defence.”

This sentiment was good to hear but what about those red lines?

Asked if this meant he might abandon the red lines on Europe in Labour’s manifesto published ahead of the July 2024 general election, Sir Keir replied: “I strongly believe we've got to turn our back on the arguments of the past, not open old........

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