“Growing up, I was a fan of the sitcom Dad’s Army. Set amongst the hapless volunteers of the Home Guard during World War Two, one of my favourite characters was Private Frazer. A depressed undertaker who had grown up on the “wild and lonely” Isle of Barra, Fraser responded to every sticky situation with the catchphrase ‘We’re doomed!’

When Islamists of various stripes won 70% of the vote in Egypt, the temptation to say ‘we’re doomed’ and give up was understandable. But it was fundamentally mistaken. If western powers set clear standards and make use of their economic leverage they can maximise their ability to shape the development of rising Islamist powers in the Middle East.”

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