Who do you think you are kidding Mr President?

The president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, today told the UK Prime Minister that 'We'll kill any deal that is good for Britain' and that his proposal will be ripped up if leaders agree to curb migrant benefits.

And he suggested that Britain and the rest of the EU would 'be left to drift into the insignificant backwaters of the world political scene' if voters decided to leave.

I have to admire the sheer bravado of people like Mr President.

Perhaps they haven’t noticed that the UK is the 5^th largest economy in the world.  It’s a Permenant Member of the UN Security Council.  It’s a member of the G8.  A leading member of NATO.  None of these are anything to do with being a member of the EU.

And on trade, the UK only is exposed to 40% of its trade being done in the EU.  Yes, 60% of our trade already is on the global stage outside the EU.  With places where economies are growing, unlike rEU.

So, people asked Nigel Lawson,the former UK Chancellor, “what, then, is your alternative to being in the European Union?” A more foolish question is hard to imagine. The alternative to being in the European Union is not being in the European Union. Most of the world is not in the European Union – and most of the world is doing better than the European Union.

So, who do you think you are kidding Mr President?