Palace was scene of Heath's humiliation

THE Palais d'Egmont, venue of last night's glitzy dinner for Sir Keir Starmer and EU leaders, has hosted British Prime Ministers before but it did not go well.

- Jonathan Walker

Ted Heath arrived on January 22, 1972, to sign the treaty taking the UK into the Common Market, the EU's forerunner - but proceedings had to be delayed after a protester sprayed him with ink on arrival.

It took an hour for a new suit to be found for him, leaving the assembled European leaders twiddling their thumbs.