How to con the Public

Charles Grant starts by pretending to listen to the people:

The French and Dutch have not only stopped the passage of the constitutional treaty, but also, quite probably, the wave of European integration that began 20 years ago with Jacques Delors, the single market and the Single European Act.

Which for a Federast of the highest pedigree is a big admission indeed. However he then rather leaves the straight and narrow and reverts to type.

The Commission and the Council of Ministers have started to build an EU diplomatic service, consisting of officials from the member-states, the Council and the Commission. This task needs to be accomplished speedily.

He also thinks that the EU will be back with “Constitution Light”.

After a pause of several years, the EU will need to come back to the question of amending its treaties.

This will of course include sensible parts of the dead former treaty. Swivel eyed loons like myself will demand a referendum, after all we were denied one by the untimely demise of the original document:

The governments should face them down, pointing out that virtually all the constitutional treaty had been abandoned, and that the mini-treaty concerned technical adjustments designed to make the EU work better.

So you were only pretending to listen Mr Grant. That way you hoped your opponents would fall asleep and not notice what you were up to. Besides, as its for our own good, we should accept it and be grateful I suppose.