"Carl Mortished is a Canadian financial journalist based in London". Says it all, trapped in the bubble. I suggest Carl gets on a train and heads out of the city. He needs to quit listening toe EU rhetoric and start thinking about how the EU fairs if the UK walks away and decides to trade under WTO rules. He fails to understand the Gibraltar position means nothing to EU members other than Spain who stands to lose big time in the fishing department. He also fails to understand that the vast majority of the English and Welsh people couldn't care less if  Ireland unifies and Scotland separates. Indeed both of these outcomes would be of benefit to England and Wales.  His €60-billion bill doesn't even agree with the number the EU accountants have come up with which is estimated at about 1/2 of that amount. Lastly perhaps Carl could explain "sneering grandiosity, postcolonial nostalgia" as I have no idea what he is talking about, unless of course that is how he feels.