The president of the European Commission has written an exclusive column for a daily newspaper in which he warned “economic nationalism” ahead of the forthcoming trigger of the Brexit.

Jean-Claude Juncker, left, penned the piece for Glasgow-based daily The Herald, in which he said the European Union could not afford to “revert to isolationism and protectionism”, adding he could see “no scenario whatsoever in which economic nationalism can be consistent with the idea of Europe or with the prosperity of its people”.

The European Commission forms the executive branch of the EU, and Mr Juncker has served as its president since 2014.

The column was offered to us on an exclusive basis by the European Commission’s press officer in Scotland, and also provided a separate news story for the paper.  It appeared in The Herald’s daily Agenda slot for outside contributors on its op-ed page.

Editor Graeme Smith told HTFP: “The Herald is of course Scotland’s premier quality national newspaper, with a reputation for covering the major issues with weight and authority – and, crucially, without spin – so it makes perfect sense for the EU Commission to want to place articles with us.

“There could be no better platform in Scotland, where, of course, 62pc per cent of those who voted in last year’s EU referendum backed a Remain vote.”