“EU law is also our law because we are involved in formulating it, and our elected representatives vote on it.”
You keep on saying that, Gromit, and I keep on saying this (which I will repeat every time I see you post similarly so hopefully people will not blindly accept what you have said):
The UK is only involved in formulating EU law inasmuch as it has one (of 28) Commissioners. Ours is currently Mr Jonathan Hill (aka Baron Hill of Oreford) whose portfolio is “Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Union” (whatever that might be). Mr Hill has never troubled himself with the tiresome business of being elected by anyone in the UK (or, for that matter, anywhere else) because he’s never seen the need. After Trinity College Cambridge he became a “Special Advisor” to firstly, Kenneth Clarke and later John Major before being appointed Leader of the House of Lords and then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Education. Baron Hill will not be found on the draughty hustings prior to the Bolton East by-election.
Our MEPs (who cannot propose or modify legislation, only accept or reject it) have about 10% of the votes in the EU Parliament. In more than 80% of the votes held in the EU Parliament in recent years where the UK has voted against the proposal on offer, the proposal has been passed anyway. This rises to 90% when considering solely financial matters.
Your contention that we have a blanket “opt out” from any particular piece of legislation (“We can opt out if we do not agree…”) is not correct. We were able to opt out of Schengen and the euro because those two major follies were foisted on the hapless citizens of the countries effected by means of treaty change. The UK would not have ratified the appropriate treaties if its opt out had not been agreed. However, the UK has no power of veto over “everyday” legislation (e.g. the banning of the sale of tungsten filament lightbulbs and powerful vacuum cleaners). Measures such as these are passed by majority voting in the EU Parliament (where, as above, we have 10% of the vote). To suggest the UK has such a veto is misleading. If the UK fails to adopt such measures and defies EU law it will face action by the EU which would ultimately be ruled upon by the European Court of Justice.
You have either been misled, or have misunderstood, or are deliberately misrepresenting the true position. It is not helpful to your argument to quote falsehoods, particularly if you have somebody like me reading them who is prepared to find out the facts, which are easily available.
If you believe that the situation I describe (which is somewhat different to your utopian vision) is somehow democratic and the wishes of the UK electorate are fairly reflected within the EU institutions and, most importantly, they have a modicum of control over those proposing them and voting on them then there’s not much I can say. My view is somewhat different and perhaps yours might be now you are acquainted with the facts.