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But what sets Europe apart is we insist on a social model that consists of solidarity, equal opportunity and a certain amount of redistribution.

When I see the cultural diversity that exists today, I feel that we must defend it, and we need Europe, because otherwise we are going to live in a society with a single model, the Anglo-American model.

We can't put up a protectionist dam on our own against the neo-liberal world market either. However, we can try, together with our European partners, to maintain the social character of Europe as much as possible.

In Europe it is particularly important that we build good relations to everyone who holds political responsibility because Europe can only be build together.

Europe has a lot of strength. We need to pool that strength, and I am very much in favour of that - more of a deeper political union.

I think that we must come together progressively, with the British, the Germans, the Spanish, the Italians and with the new members of the European Union, we must make an effort to forge closer links.

In the EU you have half a billion people who share a common belief in democracy, in rights, in the kind of economic life we want.

What is it that unites, on the left of British politics, George Orwell, Billy Bragg, Gordon Brown and myself? An understanding that identity and a sense of belonging need to be linked to our commitment to nationhood and a modern form of patriotism.

In a common project, we can bring together well-meaning people from the Left and the Right.

We should seek to cooperate with Europe, not to divide Europe to a fictitious new and a fictitious old.