Ah, Monsieur Blair is being so unreasonable, mes amis! What is this nonsense about giving “the people” a voice in their future? We all know how funny the canaille can be about voting the right way, and now he’s going to give our lot ideas above their station!

Non, it should be for us to decide these things, not the rabble - that’s why we have ENA and Oxbridge degrees and they do not.

Yes, I’m more than a little uncomfortable with what happens in the event of a British no vote. Being the odd one out (a distinct possibility) is not likely to be an especially advantageous position. Not to mention the weakening of the government on the domestic front in that event. I do wonder if this isn’t why Gordon Brown is so keen on the prospect of a referendum; it could be exactly what he needs to force Blair out after the election.

I hope the French do push for a referendum. There’s no real reason why the people of Europe can’t have all the things they like about the EU (ease of travel for instance) without submitting themselves to rule by a massive international bureaucracy.