Quote Originally Posted by Alexism - Atheoist View Post
So B, as I'm trying to get a complete picture of this issue, could you elaborate a bit on the undemocratic aspects of the EU that drove you away?

And I've heard a couple of times that this referendum isn't binding? What's the story there?

The sole body within the EU that can propose legislation is the Commission, which is composed of unelected appointees and hordes of civil servants. They control the entire legislative direction of the institution and are completely unaccountable to Europe's people.
When you vote in a state, congressional or presidential election, you vote for a set of legislative proposals, don't you? And, by doing so (if your side wins) you to some extent get to control the direction in which legislation goes over the next few years. And, if your representatives let you down, you can kick them out. No such opportunity exists within the EU.
The nearest we have (had) are EU Parliamentary elections, where you vote for a party whose voice is then invariably drowned out in the Babel of a parliament that vaguely represents the disparate views of 27 member states of 500 million people with just 736 members (the maths will tell you just how inadequately represented the people therefore are), who are elected by tiny turnouts (around 35% on average, I believe) and who can do little to influence the direction in which the EU moves, since they are part of an entirely reactive body with absolutely no power to propose legislation, merely to amend or (in very rare cases) block it. Essentially, people in Europe barely vote for this parliament because they know it is pointless.
The only other body worthy of note is the Council of Ministers, which is composed of the leading Ministers of member states. Again, this body can only react to the overall legislative direction of things and the voice of one country is usually drowned out.
In addition to this, large sections of British Law have been superseded by EU law in recent years - these are laws that have not been approved by the electorate of this country and yet still govern us.
There is a vast democratic deficit within the EU. Essentially, we are being governed from afar without adequate representation or redress - something to which I believe your countrymen objected some time ago.