WHAT should left-leaning Scots make of the current EU membership debate, the forthcoming referendum and the deal presented to the Commons by David Cameron?

It would be easy to switch off and adopt a kneejerk “In” response.

After all, Yes supporters spent two long years arguing EU membership would be a doddle for an independent Scotland and anti-European arguments are disagreeable and uninspiring – generally based on naked financial self-interest, a thinly disguised fear of foreigners and a grossly exaggerated idea of the UK’s generosity as a benefits-distributing migrant-magnet.

No matter how many anecdotes of social security-dependent East Europeans are trotted out, the facts are rather different.

Migrant workers from the 10 countries that joined the EU in 2004 made a net contribution to the UK economy of £5 billion in taxes by 2011.

Beyond the current focus on immigration, Scots also have good reason to thank the EU; for backing workers’ rights at a time Margaret Thatcher was trying to trample them, financing projects beyond the affluent south-east via the Regional Development Fund and (inadvertently) bolstering Scottish identity through recognition on the Committee of the Regions.

One in 100 Scottish workers is now employed by a German firm – indeed Britain is already decidedly European in terms of imports, exports, employment and investment – and Europe itself is better integrated now than in the early days of the EEC when travel was a jumble of different rules, banknotes, regulations and electrical wiring systems.

Of course those with even longer memories remember the genuine nightmare of war.

European solidarity – once an impossible dream – has become a working reality.

And of course, there’s the impact of the Euroref on domestic politics.

Even Tony Blair concedes that an English Out vote overriding a Scottish In vote could act as a trigger for Indyref2.

Even if that didn’t happen immediately, a split result would graphically demonstrate that outward-focused Scots have a dramatically different political culture to that of our wary and migration-obsessed southern neighbours.

Could that happen? It certainly seems David Cameron has let the genie out of the bottle by stoking up a debate on Europe he cannot now control.

He does have the promise of a very special Red Card to let Britain veto specific EU policies.

But half of the other member states must back Britain each time and the card applies only to areas where the Commission has exceeded its powers.

The most sensitive issues like benefits for migrants probably don’t fall into that category though – freedom of movement is the EU’s core business.

So wiser heads are suggesting that Britain should forget the Red Card and copy the German Constitutional Court – which lets Angela Merkel sidestep bits of European legislation Germany doesn’t like – or advise British courts not to apply EU rulings to the letter in future.

Of course the Tories don’t want a more powerful UK Supreme Court lest it starts ruling their welfare “reforms” unconstitutional.

But it’s clear there are more workable remedies to questions of sovereignty than Cameron’s Red Card. As for in-work benefits for EU migrant workers, Cameron’s much-vaunted concession is not the total ban the Tory manifesto promised and could end up costing more to administer than it saves.

Of course there are real questions about the merits of the European Union – but they don’t stand a chance of being aired while ‘debate’ is essentially macho posturing designed to show bemused European politicians and English voters who’s boss.

Agricultural subsidies have been paid to landowners who don’t even farm, unfair duties imposed on Third World imports and the current migrant crisis ignored until it affected Europe.

Last summer the Troika refused to consider Greek debt rescheduling and before that some senior EU politicians clearly tried to manipulate Scots into voting No.

Currently though, the biggest tactical difficulty is that the SNP and Tories are on the same side over Europe but on different sides over the referendum date.

David Cameron is aiming for June 23, because the summer will bring new boatloads of refugees and easy ammunition for the “Out” campaign.

The First Ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, however, want a vote in the autumn or later so Europe doesn’t dominate domestic May elections.

There are even rumours the SNP will do a deal with Eurosceptic Tories to delay the Euro vote.

Is that right – is it politically or morally wise? Would an autumn vote mean losing the Euroref?

Would an Out vote bring chaos? Would that really bring Indyref2 nearer with a different result this time?

Some massive questions lie ahead for politically engaged Scots over the once boring topic of EU membership and – just like the indyref – we can’t afford the luxury of knee-jerk answers.

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