Scottish Government: We'll publish leaked Brexit analysis

The Scottish Government has warned it will publish leaked economic analysis on Brexit if it is handed over by UK ministers.

In a letter to his UK counterpart David Davis, Scottish Brexit minister Michael Russell said the public “have a right to know” what civil servants believe the impact of leaving the EU will be, and warned he would not be bound by any confidentiality arrangements put in place by UK ministers.

The leaked analysis, which was dismissed by ministers as “incomplete”, suggests that all available options for Brexit will result in significant economic damage.

However, in a letter on Thursday underlining the frosty relations between London and Edinburgh, Mr Russell wrote: “As you are aware the Scottish Government considers that the public have a right to know the impact on jobs and living standards of the UK Government’s decision to pursue the UK’s exit from the EU and therefore that this analysis should be made publicly available.

“Further, this is not our analysis and we do not see it as our responsibility to make arrangements on confidential handling. I want to be clear that if you send the analysis to us we will make it public.”

The warning comes on the day David Lidington, the minister in charge of leading Brexit talks with devolved administrations, is due to arrive in Edinburgh to try resolve a growing constitutional crisis over the EU Withdrawal Bill.

The Department for Exiting the EU has been asked for a response.