My own stance on this is quite clear. I have no problems with joining a free trade club where there is a democratic input. However, this has never been the case with the EEC. The Brits have always been regarded as a thorn in the side simply because we called into question a number of resolutions and practices. Over the years, it is well known that while we were arguing over Queensbury Rules of fair play and good sense, certain other members simply acquiesced to keep the peace but secretly had no intention of ever fullfilling their obligations, more notably the Club Med bunch. This was folly from the word go and it has now come back to haunt. The initiation of the EU's grandiose plans for total control at the time of Blair and his fellow fudgers was the bridge too far but they had neither the vision nor the whit to recognise it. We are now left to sort out the mess. The process of democracy is nothing more than an ongoing trial in itself which should be underpinned by the available facts and rigorous intellect. An examination if you like. Enter politicians and spin. Exit the people who all too often have 'better things to do' and leave the manipulators to their devious devices. It is said that in democracy we deserve the governments we get. It is largely true but I believe we deserve better than this. The current crop of politicians are , in the main, a bunch of self serving, second rate sycophants and we put them there. Most of them have never done a day's work in the real world. The real problem we now face is that democracy is struggling to function properly largely because we are now in the grip of a body of people who are little more than quasi civil servants. That is not their role. They are there to represent their constituents. The real problem we now face is that the 'Blairites', for want of a better term, exist in large numbers on both sides of the floor. What is missing is a viable 'alternative' party to truly represent the concerns of a large swathe of this country. In this, it has been my experience that left and right share similar notes. The sooner we see Jacob Rees-Mogg in office the better. He is an excellent 'old school' parliamentarian who has the whit, intellect and integrity that is sadly absent from the current crop of squatters in the lower house. I am afraid the upper house is water under the bridge. For the record, I shall be writing to my local MP to address these very points as soon as I have collected my thoughts on this and a number of wider issues. I really wish others would do the same in the interests of democracy if only to remind them they have crossed the line too many times.
