The British population reacted to Bush much the same as that of other European nations. If Blair had taken a line like Chirac or Schroeder about Iraq, he would probably be more popular at home than he now is.

Rendition demonstrates that most European governments do not want to annoy the Americans. I am not aware that any of them have seriously tried to stop the flights or raise them in the European Council.

My next comments relate to the European Union as it is rather than to the federal Europe I would prefer.

Britain has as much right as any other member state to argue for its vision of the EU's future. Although I would like my country to rebalance its foreign policy more towards Europe and less to the United States, I do not think we can give automatic, unconditional allegiance to some other members interpretation of how Europe should develop. Everything has to be negotiated and agreed within the institutional framework of the EU.