Smaller brains

As further evidence of just why the Bottler is so clearly unsuited to be prime minister, his on-again, off-again decision to go to Lisbon to sign the not-the-EU-Constitution can hardly be bettered.

In the first instance, he was clearly running scared of being personally associated with the treaty by signing it in an ostentatious public ceremony despite his repeated insistence that it is 'good for Britain' . Hence the transparently engineered 'diary clash' that kept him in London. Hence, too, the crudely signalled message that in staying away he was also affirming his Eurosceptic credentials, however much of a nonsense these made of his repeated claims that the treaty is 'good for Britain' and his clumsy insistence on his 'red lines'.

That such childish ruses would instantly be seen through seems never to have occurred to him. Ditto that they would also earn him the barely disguised scorn of his fellow European leaders, every single one of whom – Sarko, Merkel, et al – took part in the public signing.

At a stroke – though not of a pen – Europhiles and Eurosceptics alike were alienated.

Blustering, he then affected surprise that anyone could be exercised about so 'trivial' a matter but decided to fly to Lisbon anyway though only to sign the treaty in private several hours after the principal players had left the stage.

Prevarication meets miscalculation meets cowardice meets buffoon.

And this is the 'master strategist'?

'Psychologically flawed' hardly hints at the man's shortcomings.