The UK government and Gordon Brown’s Labour party have received a terrible drubbing in the European and local elections – as bad as that for any ruling party across the continent. David Cameron’s Conservatives could scarcely have asked for more. It leaves them in pole position to win the next general election. That could come sooner rather than later if Mr Brown cannot stop the civil war within his own party.

Yet on one vital issue, Mr Cameron continues to behave as if he will be eternally in opposition: his party’s attitude towards the European Union. His determination to quit the dominant centre-right alliance in the European parliament, and thus alienate his most important potential partners in Europe – Germany’s Angela Merkel and President Nicolas Sarkozy of France – is foolish and counter-productive. It is time to reconsider.