Emperor With No Clothes

So the Euro summit has reached its logical conclusion - much tighter control of economic and fiscal policy in member countries - to prevent another debt debacle.

In future countries will need to live within their means - by new Euro rules - or face financial penalities which will  punish irresponsible behaviour.

Anyone who doesn't want to take the 'nasty' medicine doesn't have to swallow it - which seems perfectly fair - but then runs the risk of being left behind in Europe's slow lane.

Elements within the Tory party and UK Independence Party will inevitably cry betrayal - and that the answer is for Britain to have a referendum on pulling out of Europe altogether.

But that is a busted flush of a response - because how can Britain possibly hold the rest of Europe to ransom - when our negotiating position is so weak and the costs of pulling out so high? 

So we have ended up where all the main political parties - Tory, Lib Dem and Labour - wanted us to be - outside the Euro and behaving as a semi-detached member of the European Union (EU).

All three parties are running scared of closer ties and co-operation with Europe - because middle-England appears to have swallowed the Euro-sceptic message about the loss of national freedom and sovereignty. 

For the moment we have made our bed and must lie in it - because the Prime Minister went off to Brussels in much the same manner as the 'Emperor with no clothes' - just like his recent predecessors. 

Time will tell who was right and who was wrong - but I haven't heard any one in the UK arguing that we should actually join the Euro - which is the only way to become a major EU player - one that can actually shape and help influence future events.

The main UK political parties all have a lot of serious thinking to do - the stakes very are high.

So do voters north of the border - because the rabid Euro-scepticism which seems to be the settled will of middle-England - appears not to be shared by the people of Scotland.