Barroso urges Britain to get over its inflated sense of worth

SET ASIDE your hallucinations about your place in Europe was the unusually bold message delivered by European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso in London this week.

The time has come for Britain to take account of the new realities of the 21st century, he said. And the facts are that while Britain may seem big beside Ireland, it does not look so big beside China, he argued.

The Portuguese politician has gained a reputation for being afraid of national leaders, especially of the bigger member states and is constantly caught repeating their sometimes-conflicting opinions.