“Confederation” might have gone down smoother but I think what he’s saying is pretty innocuous. British conservatives do not agree and are seizing the moment to demand that Gordon Brown follow through on Blair’s promise to hold a referendum on the UK’s membership in the EU before it suddenly finds itself an outpost of the non-imperial imperial throne in Brussels.

Journalists in attendance apparently sensed immediately that he’d made a gaffe (in the Kinsleyan sense, perhaps). Right-wing British bloggers are enjoyably outraged. Thanks to Niko for the tip.