“Oh, I shall continue to talk to you, but I will never trust your political judgement again.” “I did advise you not to run.” At that, he gazed into the middle distance, looking even more leonine than usual: “I have changed the course of history.” So he had, but not in his direction.That is another respect in which he is guilty of self-delusion. Not only has he been a less positive politician than he would admit; he has also been a less courageous one. Throughout his years in politics, Mr Heseltine has been committed to a united Europe: a political union as well as an economic one This is partly for negative reasons. He is somewhat anti-American and has a naive belief in bigness (he was one of the Dome’s begetters). So he is convinced that there is only one way to counter the USA: a USE.But Michael is also a Euro idealist.

Those who argue that it must be possible to transcend petty nationalism and to create a European political system worthy of the glories of European culture cannot be accused of low-mindedness. They would appear to be arguing in a noble cause, even though they are merely the latest in a long succession of deluded post-enlightenment visionaries. The belief that the true purpose of politics is to reconstruct human nature and to recommence history has been the major cause of premature death in Europe over the past two centuries.In Michael Heseltine’s case, there is a further, albeit lesser, problem. He is a covert Euro-idealist, who has never been prepared to take his case to the British people. He has always hoped that given the electoral system and the power of a parliamentary majority, a tacit cross-party consensus among Euro-minded politicians would deliver federalism without the voters noticing.One can understand why he should deceive himself in this way.

He does have political instincts which inform him – correctly – that it would be hard to persuade the British people to accept federalism. But as Margaret Thatcher would have told him, there is no alternative. You cannot treat the British electorate as if it were a fractious, sick child which has to be tricked into swallowing its medicine but can then be rewarded with a sweet and reassurance: “There, there, that wasn’t so bad, was it? You’re feeling better already.” The British people may never accept federalism, but were they to do so, it would require argument and debate, not trick and treat.Three and a half years ago, however, Mr Heseltine did believe that he had found the treating trickster who could deliver federalism: Tony Blair. The most Europhile prime minister since Ted Heath, Mr Blair had a commanding hold over the Commons, and over public opinion.