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In many ways, the history of aircraft maker Airbus parallels that of the European Union. They’ve been going for about the same time, were created through political will, have had successes and failures, and Britain has played an important – but often reluctant – part in shaping them.

But it’s not hard to argue which has been the more successful. Earlier this month Airbus delivered its 10,000th aircraft, has orders for close to 7,000 more, is outselling its US rival in the key single-aisle airliner segment and its future looks assured. The EU, meanwhile, is on the verge of collapse.

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Perhaps the most impressive thing about Airbus is that it is still going – it predates the EU and looks likely to outlive it.

“European co-operation projects don’t have a terribly good history,” said Morris. “Airbus is a fascinating one that’s become a success – eventually. That it worked at all is a miracle.”