Local Government has been emasculated by this Gov't and has very few powers remaining. Where they have the exercise of discretion, the councillors usually completely ignore the wishes of the local community who elected them - following the party line means more to these self-important types than representing their ward. The EU is a non-democratic institution with MEP's only concerned about how to fiddle their expenses to earn mega-bucks paid for by the 'electorate'. I've just become totally disillusioned with the exercise of our so-called democratic institutions - voting for those on the Euro gravy-train only invests them with the credibility that they crave.