I lived in Brussels for several years, so it might seem odd that I want Britain to hold a referendum on the European Union’s new treaty. For the European crowd that I know well, advocating a referendum is not simply an act of political treason. It is a gross social faux pas – a bit like putting furry dice in your car. There is a range of adjectives that is readily applied to the pro-referendum camp: xenophobic, spit-flecked, swivel-eyed, Little Englander.