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		Blair shows his true European colours Daily Telegraph Editorial - Thursday, 22nd December 2005 As a consummate actor, the Prime Minister knows the importance of measuring his words. Therefore it was notable that he should have launched such a petulant outburst two days ago in response to hostile questioning from British MEPs. In a robust duel with UKIP's Nigel Farage and the Conservative Roger Helmer about what they saw as his betrayal of Britain over the size of our EU rebate, Tony Blair let fly. What he said, as much as how he said it, revealed something about him. In his passionate defence of his surrender to the European consensus, the Prime Minister showed for the first time in months what a convinced European he is. Having been forced by circumstances and political reality to bury his advocacy of a single currency and a European constitution, he was back on the attack once more in championing a more federal design for Europe. "This is the year 2005, not 1945. We are not fighting each other any more." Mr Blair should have directed his remarks not to politicians who have consistently defended British sovereignty, but to his main European rival, Jacques Chirac. Unlike Mr Blair, President Chirac does feel he is fighting his so-called partners, and one so-called partner in particular. What is more, Mr Chirac fights to win, having made it clear long in advance that France's devout commitment to a high level of agricultural subsidy was not a matter for negotiation. No wonder Mr Blair, whose aims (insofar as he professed any) were always unachievable, threw in the towel with an air of studied inevitability. Still worse, it now seems that the sacrifice of British taxpayers' money that he has offered up, touted originally at £7 billion, is likely to turn out at something nearer £14 billion. So no wonder, too, that Gordon Brown, who would like to keep such money for his own profligate domestic schemes, is so cross with him. In an especially unpleasant soundbite, Mr Blair told his detractors on Tuesday that they sat behind our country's flag, but did not represent our country's interests. On one level, this is a classic case of a political leader deluded into believing his own publicity. On another, though, it returns us to the sheer dishonesty with which politicians on both sides of the divide have conducted European business ever since the early 1970s. Objectively, there can be no doubt that Euro-sceptic MEPs have stood up for the true interests of Britain far more than has Mr Blair, with his approach wavering between that of the dilettante and the turncoat. His "1945" remark suggests he has forgotten that we were not actually fighting the French at that time. He might serve himself, and us, better by making a more accurate estimate of Chirac's strategy, and noting that we are at war with them now.

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