Tony Blair has described the dilemma of a prime minister crafting policy towards Europe as “acute to the point of the ridiculous”: either isolate yourself in defence of national interests and win plaudits at home or co-operate and face accusations of betrayal. As he puts it: “It’s isolation or treason.”

But after 10 years of bruising European negotiations and being “hammered” in the media every time he enters Belgian airspace, Mr Blair insists: “I am still very much pro-European.”