Taking this to a European perspective I live and work in the EU, I live in Germany and mostly work in France. Forget what you hear on the news, the average French and German person is so envious of the UK and the Dutch are pressuring their Government about an exit plan. The plain fact is, the EU is rotten and corrupt. We have a Parliament in Strasbourg with over 1,500 elected members and no power. But in Brussels we have 26 Commissioner's who have been placed there by their respective Governments either as a favour or in the case of Peter Mandleson to get him out of the way till the heat dies down! These 26 people have more power than the European Parliament! These people are riding the gravy train and will do everything in their power not to upset the status quo. The idea of a united Europe is a lovely thing but all it's doing is profiting a few greedy people. When Mandleson took up his post he had about £1.7 million in the Bank which he didn't really want to talk about, when he left his post he had £17 million and was under an internal investigation! Now he sits in the Lord's! Democracy in action people!