"Geburtsurkunde für neues Europa"

So proclaims the headline in today’s edition of Die Welt, which even my virtually non-existent German can cope with: “Birth certificate for a new Europe”.

As to the rest, fortunately the story is picked up by The Sun, which gives its own headline to the story: "German spells out EU plan".

Writes George Pascoe-Watson, the deputy political editor, "the EU Constitution will create a United States of Europe despite Tony Blair’s denials, Germany’s foreign minister confirmed yesterday."

The story is given more clothes in The Daily Mail (not online) which reports that Hans Martin Bury, Germany's Europe minister, said the constitution was more than just a "milestone", stating: "I think the EU constitution is the birth certificate of the United States of Europe."

This was during a debate in the Bundestag, when he added: "It is not the end point of integration, but the framework for - as it says in the preamble - an ever closer union."

Actually, it does not say that in the preamble – the words were changed very subtly to soothe the fevered brows of British Eurosceptics, whence they became: "The peoples of Europe are determined to transcend their former divisions and, united ever more closely, to forge a common destiny". As the man said, "ever closer union" – in all but name.

Both the Sun and the Mail remark about how this statement flatly contradicts Jack Straw who, on 9 February on the Today programme claimed that the constitution "literally limits the powers of the European Union", adding: "What this does is say 'this far and no further'".

The Bury claim evoked a quote in the Sun from shadow foreign secretary Michael Ancram, who said: "Once again a European politician has told the truth about the EU constitution. Mr Blair is desperate to cover up. The EU Constitution would mean the beginning of the end for British independence."

Bury is, of course, by no means the first EU politician to point out that the process of integration continues. This is precisely what we told the Today programme on 9 February, when we said:

This constitutional treaty is part of an ongoing process – it is just one more step in a project aimed at creating a government of Europe, devised by the political élites, without the informed assent of their peoples. Completion will mean the end of us as a self-governing country. Britain will be relegated to the status of a county council, subordinate to a central government in Brussels.

That is the danger. It we allow this treaty through, there will be another one behind, and another – as many as it takes to get to the destination. Insiders are already saying they want another treaty within a few years…

Also confirming this is Dominic Strauss-Kahn, the former French finance minister, in his document "Building a political Europe" which sets out the next steps for integration.

There can be no doubt about what we are dealing with – a "yes" vote for the constitution is signing a blank cheque for further integration.