Our democratic deficit is closer to home than anti-EU brigade suggest

THE debate on the EU constitution has begun and the chances are that it could become one of the greatest bores of all time because the same old faces are lining up with the same old tired arguments.

They tried to stop this country joining the European Economic Community (EEC) and are already gathering for what could be their last hurrah.

They opposed the Luxembourg, Amsterdam, Maastricht and Nice Treaties and every other step since we got into Europe. They had a victory of sorts in delaying the Nice Treaty largely because of the arrogance of the Government in taking it for granted that the same old crowd with their tired old arguments would be defeated without any effort.