EGYPTIAN President Hosni Mubarak now needs to show real leadership.

He has attempted to pour cold water on the huge demonstrations against his reign by saying that he will leave in September. This appears to be the 82-year-old’s proud tactic to retain control of the country he has ruled for 30 years, and to keep hold of the process by which his successor is chosen.

The gesture has clearly not assuaged the hundreds of thousands of Egyptians who are still on the streets.

They want a less repressive and a more open and representative government.

A bloody stalemate is developing, with Mr Mubarak clinging to his own timetable with increasing desperation and violence while the protestors push hard to remove him with their desperation and violence increasing.

Until something gives, lives will continue to be lost on a daily basis.

Egypt’s economy and its people’s living conditions will continue to go downhill – a European holidaymaker would have to be either brave or foolish to book a place in Egypt’s sun this summer – and instability will continue to ripple out across the region.

Yet Mr Mubarak has already promised to give way in September. So all these lives and livelihoods are to be destroyed simply for the sake of him extending his three decades in power by another seven months.

And whatever reputation he has is rubbished by his use of orchestrated violence and suppression of lawful protest.

A good leader always knows when the time is right for him to go. European leaders, including our own David Cameron, and American President Barack Obama are united in calling on Mr Mubarak to begin the transition straight away to a new “broad-based government”.

He should listen to that advice and show real leadership by setting his country on its way peacefully and immediately to its new democratic era.