Via the Times…

Britain was told yesterday that it was part of a new European empire — by the Brussels bureaucrat who would be emperor. José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission…Mr Barroso’s comments came as he announced the European Commission’s wholehearted support for the new EU reform treaty…“Now what we have is the first non-imperial empire. We have 27 countries that fully decided to work together and to pool their sovereignty. I believe it is a great construction and we should be proud of it.” Nervous aides to the former Portuguese Prime Minister inquired after his press conference whether this description might feature in British media reports. Mr Barroso, a law graduate who was backed by Britain to become European Commission President, all but declared himself emperor while argument is raging in Westminster over whether the Government should keep to Tony Blair’s pledge to hold a referendum on the EU constitution.