John Stuart Agnew, on behalf of the EFD Group. – Madam President, the most fascinating bit of this report is the excellent graph which shows the decline in turnout in European elections from just over 60% to now just over 40%. What a splendid achievement this has been.

The peoples of Europe have shown clearly what they think of this great project: they do not like it. What is the response? Instead of wondering whether a lot less Europe might appeal to the people of Europe, Mr Duff proposes lots more Europe: an expensive and pointless addition of 25 extra MEPs occupying so-called ‘super seats’. Why would anyone in Europe want these?

The southern end of Europe and Ireland are discovering, through the imposition of real hardship, real poverty and onerous austerity measures, just how wonderful Europe isn’t. The euro has been for them, and thus for the rest of Europe, an unmitigated disaster.

A vast tide of economic migrants is starting to overwhelm especially the more prosperous northern countries. Inevitably, as a direct consequence, nation states are reaching for a veritable array of borders, customs and immigration checks. The great EU temple totters on its foundations, and just at this moment Mr Duff decides that he wants more Europe. I am stopping here with 15 seconds to go, because I want less Europe.