The criticisms of the EU from many within the Conservative Party and espoused on many occasions by the Prime Minister and Conservative members of the Cabinet is that it lacks democratic robustness. David Cameron was constantly on our screens when he wanted us to understand that despite the process for selecting a new EU Commission President being agreed by the UK Government and involvement of our Government in choosing the President, that Jose Manuel Barroso was an anti-democratic choice. This morning the debate on Radio 4 was regarding the ratification of Jonathan Hopkin Hill as the new British Commissioner who has been nominated by David Cameron. No doubt Lord Hill has many strengths and positive life experiences that will make his tenure something that Mr Cameron can be proud of. However he has never been elected by ordinary men and women in any democratic contest. His track record has never been tested through the ballot box by any of us despite the powerful roles he has already played within the nation. His selection was not something that the public were consulted on, not even through the MPs who represent us. Similarly we were denied the opportunity to hear from the Presidential candidates before our Government gave its support to none of them, and specifically not to the one that most other Governments supported.

At the age of 25 Jonathan Hill took a job for the Conservative Research Department, and within a year had a job working as special adviser to Ken Clarke MP. He left the world of Politics for two years when he was 29 to work for a PR Company that is supportive of the Conservative Party. He returned to the world of special advisers when he was 31 working at No 10. At 34 he went back to the PR world before finally setting up his own lobbying firm 4 years later in 1998. In 2010 he was created a Peer and became a member of the House of Lords and a Minister in the coalition. His chum Damien Green speaking this morning on Radio 4 claimed that he could just as easily have sought public office by being elected as an MP (Damien knows only too well that in some constituencies, that the Tory candidate is certain of election – some democracy there!)

How strange that Democracy is such a die in the ditch issue one moment and so expendable the next, depending on whether it suits the men in power in our nation!