It is sometimes striking, how blissfully ignorant some Eurosceptics are even of basic facts about the Union that they seek so assiduously to denigrate.

In the European Parliament's Constitutional Affairs committee last week, Ashley Mote (elected as UKIP and now a member of Mr Le Pen's far-right group) questioned Commissioner Wallstrom on "what majority is needed to ratify the new Reform Treaty?"!

Even Sixth Formers would usually know that any new treaty must be ratified by all member states to come into force. But someone who has been an MEP for three years should surely have some grasp of the basics!