It is not altogether clear whether Tony Blair covets the job of president of the European Union. It may be that the former UK prime minister simply enjoys being talked about as the new figurehead of the EU envisaged by the Lisbon reform treaty. He would nonetheless be an inappropriate choice and not just because of the folly of Iraq.

Mr Blair was the most pro-European leader in the UK for a generation. Yet he not only failed to change the terms of Britain’s tortured EU debate, he blew the chance to lead Europe – even though many policy arguments inside the EU tilted Britain’s way.