Today I went to Canterbury, where I was invited by the University of Kent to attend the launch of their new Centre for Federal Studies. Professor David Marquand gave an interesting lecture and I made the first comment.

Marquand pointed out that Britain has bequeathed numerous federal systems to countries across the world: Canada, India, Malaysia, Australia, Germany, South Africa, Nigeria, and so on. Yet the idea is still seen as alien to Britain, notwithstanding some federal aspects of devolution and the EU.

Marquand described this anti-federalism as a neurosis. He pointed out that Britain's objective in promoting federal systems in the above countries was to avoid a powerful centre and to protect separate identities - exactly Britain's objectives in the EU! The trouble is that most of the public here thinks federalism equals centralism.

But curiously, Marquand then went on to blame this state of affairs not on our press or the Eurosceptics, but on Tony Blair! Prof Marquand is a Lib Dem. It's a shame that he wanted to bring party politics into an academic lecture in this way. Of all the targets for a pro-European to attack, the most pro-European Prime Minister in a quarter of a century, who has actually negotiated and signed three European treaties, is a curious one to single out.

Anyway, good luck to the University of Kent in their attempt to raise the level of knowledge and understanding of federalism in Britain!