A few weeks ago, l’escroc Jacques Chirac, a man who has never found a rule he could not bend, decided to advance the date for a French referendum on the EU ‘constitution’. His motive? Support for the yes camp was leaking away fast, something that brought back unhappy memories of an earlier French referendum – on the EU’s Maastricht treaty a decade or so ago. That campaign too began with a heavy lead for those who supported the treaty, but in the event the yes side only won in a photofinish and in somewhat suspicious circumstances. By pushing the vote forward to May 29th, Chirac hoped to avoid a similar close shave this time round.

There are encouraging signs that this gambit may fail. For the first time, the no’s are ahead.

This makes sense. After Mitterand and Chirac the French should know moral and financial corruption when they see it. With a bit of luck therefore, they ought to understand the disastrous consequences to them of handing the keys of their coffers to the kleptocrats of Brussels in perpetuity.

If the French have any sense, this time they should just say non.