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Not at all, David. I agree that if we were to leave it could trigger an exit by other countries and ultimately lead to the break-up of the whole project. In that case the British people would have the great credit, for the fourth time in two centuries, of putting the brakes on a hegemonistic venture heading at great speed up an historical blind alley. Do you know that passage in Matthew Arnold? “Whoever knocks to pieces a scheme of this sort does the world a service. In antiquity, the Roman empire had a scheme of this sort, and much more. The barbarians knocked it to pieces; – honour to the barbarians. In the Middle Ages Frederick the Second had a scheme of this sort. The Papacy knocked it to pieces; – honour to the Papacy. In our own century France had a scheme of this sort. Your fathers [the English] knocked it to pieces; - honour to your fathers.”

So let’s not worry too much about being called barbarians (or worse things) by the blind Europhiles. We have history on our side.

Have a good trip.