I certainly agree with him about Schengen and I can't see that having a finance minister would be so bad. My feeling about the euro is that it was a massive mistake. It has certainly done very little to promote harmony or unity and has crucified at various times some of the poorer countries. There are times when your currency has to be allowed to float. The euro has benefited Germany way more and above all the other eurozone members. The architects of the single currency must have thought that there would be much more harmonisation of the relative wealth of the different economies. It was a nice idea but it was never going to happen.

As for showing Cameron more respect, what respect did he show the EU? He went in there guns blazing, full of hubris, promising us the earth, trying to kid them that they needed us so badly, with tbe blackmail of his referendum the only weapon in his armoury. He got next to nowt and that's precisely what he deserved. One thing's for sure. He doesn't deserve the respect of anyone in this country any more. Tragically, David Davis has the same attitude. The EU will manage very well without us. He doesn't see that. Juncker saw it precisely correctly yesterday. It took Farage's brainless intervention to draw it undiplomatically out of him.