Charles Michel of the European Council, David Sassoli of the parliament and Ursula von der Leyen of the commission said goodbye to Britain yesterday

“Ever closer union” is back on the agenda as European leaders use the departure of Britain as a historic opportunity to revive plans for deeper integration.

Britain’s often sceptical influence has long been regarded as an obstacle to the “project” and Brexit is seen as a chance to make the European Union “more united and sovereign” by 2022.

Talks have begun at the EU’s highest level to launch a “conference on the future of Europe” including work on “possible treaty change” with the aim of becoming a global power alongside China and the United States.

Piggybacking on contemporary debates about climate change, President Trump’s America and the rise of China, the EU is to dust off the constitutional project that was halted by French and