EVERY sphere of life will be affected by the UK’s decision to leave the European Union, including arts and culture. State-sponsored cultural exchange body British Council has serious concerns about Britain’s ability to retain its position as a global cultural powerhouse post-Brexit, and has therefore come up with a raft of recommendations to ensure education, the arts and culture are given consideration as the negotiations continue.

The entirely sensible proposals, supported by a raft of leading figures from the Scottish arts world, include an easy to obtain culture and education travel permit, guaranteed residency rights for EU nationals in the UK and vice-versa, and continued participation in exchange schemes such as Erasmus.

This approach recognises that arts and culture should not be viewed solely in terms of intellectual value; the sector is, after all, worth almost £4bn a year to the Scottish economy, with both Edinburgh and Glasgow punching well above their weight on the global stage in terms of arts and culture.

The British Council is not known for being outspoken or controversial. And this is perhaps a good enough reason why these arguably rather bold recommendations should be given real and genuine consideration. Let’s just hope the UK’s negotiating team makes the time and effort to do so.