Daniel Hannan (ECR). – Madam President, in 1946 Winston Churchill made a speech at the University of Zurich, one bit of which is always quoted in this House. The section where he says that he wants something – ‘a kind of United States of Europe’ is how he puts it. Very few people quote what he goes on to say, which is that he hopes that Britain and America, and maybe one day even the Soviet Union, will look on as friends and sponsors. I suspect he would rather approve of the proposal we have just voted on. The change, which means that Britain is leaving, but that there is a more federal view of how European democracy happens after that. The two things indeed being linked, because the withdrawal of the British veto facilitates a number of these federalist measures.

A year ago, this would have really bothered me. I would have railed against the idea and I would have talked about the national Parliament being the focus of people’s loyalty. Now, I wish our friends and neighbours every possible success. More than 70 years on, we are belatedly realising that great vision of a united Europe with Britain as a friend and sponsor.