Last night's summit in Brussels over the debt crisis in Euroland has brought some certainty to the markets. Whilst we await the details, what is clear is the creation of a 'two- speed' Europe - led by the Euro-using community, with a secondary tier of membership for the others. When I was first in Brussels at the launch of the new currency, my German friends would ask why the UK had not joined the Euro. As with many simple questions, I could never find a really succinct answer. The conclusion was that the 'Brits' were not serious about the EU and would suffer as a consequence. The current decisions over national debt and the euro has reinvigorated this issue - the sight of David Cameron and the other leaders from non-Euro countries being dismissed from the meeting can only be a signal example of what might come. If economic issues are now to be determined by the Euro-club alone, this may well change the shape of EU government. Most issues could be classified as being 'economic' - take agriculture or transport policy. It is worth pondering whether UK lobbyists or public affairs people will have the influence they have enjoyed until now. The French phrase for two-speed is 'a deux vitesses' - which resonates more with me than the English equivalent. Apart from a possibility of reduced influence, what effect with this have on europhobia in England? I say England, because recent surveys have shown far greater support for the EU in Scotland and Wales. Whilst most people will find the outcomes of last night's summit a struggle to understand, the possible political consequences are clearer, but have enormous significance and potential to create all sorts of further difficulties.
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