Apathy towards Europe could prove costly

Scepticism, bureaucrats, a proposed Constitution, not to mention bendy cucumbers, are all associated with the European Union.

As the Liberal Democrats prospective parliamentary candidate for Brentwood and Ongar I was invited to visit local Liberal Democrat Euro MP Andrew Duff in Brussels for two days to discover the reality.

During the visit I saw the European institutions 'up close and personal' and received briefings from high-ranking officials from the Commission and Parliament.

The three elements of the Brussels Westminster village are the European Commission, in which Peter Mandelson is Britain's representative, the European Parliament to which we elect our members, ie MEPs and the Council of Ministers where British Government ministers represents our interests.

Understanding how funds are distributed and how regions within member states are prioritised as well as gaining an appreciation of the legislative process are essential can properly make up their minds on Europe and indeed on the expected referendum on the proposed European constitution.

It is clear our European institutions need reforming, need to be held to account better and also need to become more transparent.

It is for these very reasons that those people who would say they are opposed to the constitution are the very people who should be voting for it.

A constitution that will define the balance between national and European governmental authority and that will ensure Britain's interests are upheld against those of the French and Germans, must surely be both an improvement on the current scenario and progress in general.

A 'no' vote would leave Britain out in the cold and unless we withdraw completely we will not benefit.