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"Cameron said very clearly: 'We're not interested in a political union, we want to take care of our own interests and retreat to our island.' But the rest of the continent does want political union because it's indispensible to save the euro and to protect our place on the world arena," Sikorski said. "Great Britain can retreat to its island. But it's in our [Poland's] interest to permanently safeguard our membership in the Latin civilisation, so we need tighter ties with the rest of Europe, not looser ones," he added.

If David Cameron, a man who has many sterling qualities and does have the capacity for greatness, does turn out to be a true heir to Blair, in the sense that he's just as deceitful, then it will be a calamity for Britain. It would mean that the direction of our national affairs had fallen into the hands of a narrow political class which is utterly devoid of morality and with it, the ability to connect with ordinary people. It would suggest that the cynics really are correct and that there really is no difference between the main political parties, and that leading politicians - in their bond of deceitfulness - have far more in common with each other than they do with ordinary voters. It would suggest that something terrible happens to British politicians when they get office and they at once start to lie and cheat.

But the poll also reveals deep disenchantment with the overall political process. Only 4 per cent of voters think that the parties are being totally honest with voters over their tax plans and only 6 per cent think they are being honest about cutting the deficit. Most worryingly for David Cameron as he tries to regain the lead enjoyed by the Conservatives two years ago, more voters are now hoping for a hung Parliament than either a Tory or Labour victory. A senior Tory told The Times: “This is a phoney war right now, but that’s not because of any lack of fighting. It’s because they think we’re all fakes.”