Being an island nation, we are isolated from mainland Europe and are faced with a "them and us" situation. Local democracy is an issue that has not been mentioned in the treaty. Democracy should come from the bottom up, but here it come from the top down. We have the most centralised system of local government in Europe, particularly when one compares it with those in Denmark, Germany, etc., and it must be considered. We are being treated with arrogance. Since Christmas we have had three or four Bills before the House which dilute the powers of elected local representatives. I refer here to the Protection of the Environment Bill, the Local Government Bill and the Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill, which will have an impact on us in terms of discovering what is happening at local government level.