There is democratic accountability, it may not be the best in the world, but neither is many states around the globe - dare I say including ours. I would say to you that fine, we may agree that democratic accountability is a problem the EU has to get over - and don't think the EU MEP's and people in Brussels as well as the member states leaders, don't know it, hence some measures in the constitution and increasing focus on it - but we are better inside it, fixing it than outside scorning at it on the touchlines. Be involved and help or shut up, in the UK we are doing neither at the moment - being inside and doing nothing productive or not getting out and leaving the rest to sort it.

The EU is not a gamble, I would like to see your reasons for stating that - the EU has been beneficial to our economy and many other states - hell Thatcher entrenched us into the EU, because of the economic arguments.

Plus, it isn't the european social model that is being followed by the EU, unfortunately far from it and with the new states, ever increasingly further from it. The centre right have had the upper hand in the EU parliament for some years now, the socialist block reforms made are not exactly mind blowing either.

Nice to see you too :p