European Affairs

I respect the hon. Gentleman, his diligence and the fact that he normally deals with matters of substance, so I am still troubled by his wish to dance around on the issue of personality. It may play better in the press, but it is not what this issue is about. Will he at least concede the fact that the European Council of Prime Ministers decided to downgrade the position of President of the Council to that of chairman of a committee, and not to give the position the power feared by those of us who did not wish to have a President of Europe who spoke on behalf of Europe and took over from the Prime Ministers in national Parliaments?