Europe

Apart from a few years in the middle-east, I've lived my whole life in europe; the great majority in britain. I am a european, both from conviction and pragmatism. Europe, of which the uk remains a part, is helping forge a new way forward for the world. It is a lighthouse of how old enemies can become not just new allies, but so closely bound and integrated that their future prosperity depends on them hanging ever closer together. At its best, europe brings real benefits from bigger and freer flowing markets, economies of scale, the circulation of best practice and safety in numbers. I have written a lot about europe, mainly in my guise of new europe, and you can read it all here. Watch the clip, by oscar-winning producer alice doyard

all good things come to an end (March 2008)

Rough notions about the Union's "new members" are overly reliant on political cartoon characters such as the Kaczynski twins. Many of the "olds" have not moved on from the attitude that "we" are doing "them" a favour by welcoming them into the club, lavishing them with subsidies, and providing millions of jobs, forcing unskilled native workers out of the job market...