Danegeld

They say that Tony Blair was not really in favour of the concept of a European Constitution, but was bullied into accepting it. I am sure that John Major would have preferred not to go through the torture of Maastricht. Successive leaders have claimed that successive treaties were the limit of integration, up to here and no further, only to be proven to be wrong. They remind me of this historical figure. Ethelred II, the Unready

He succeeded to the throne after the murder of his half-brother, Edward II, the Martyr, at the age of ten. His reign was plagued by poor advice from his personal favorites and suspicions of his complicity in Edward's murder. His was a rather long and ineffective reign, which was notable for little other than the payment of the Danegeld, an attempt to buy off the Viking invaders with money. The relentless invasions by the Danish Vikings, coupled with their ever-escalating demands for more money, forced him to abandon his throne in 1013. He fled to Normandy for safety, but was later recalled to his old throne at the death of Svein Forkbeard in 1014. He died in London in 1016.

The modern version of Danegeld has become the signing of treaties that we do not really want. If we give in to them here, maybe they will go away. But before one treaty is even signed, there is always another in the works. Quite unsurprisingly, they keep coming back for more gold. One of the main selling points for the yes group will be that this pot of gold will finally persuade the invaders to stay away. Somehow I cannot believe it. My apologies to the Danes, its not them causing the trouble this time.