THOSE who most often demand that Britain should leave the European Union make some ludicrous assertions that are too rarely challenged, but a response is needed to the claim by Philip Griffiths, the North West chairman of the UK Independence Party, that European Commissioners are now responsible for most of our laws and rule our everyday lives.

The 27 European Commissioners (one from each country) are appointed by Europe’s Prime Ministers to get on with the day-to-day work of putting the principles they support into practice.

Over the years I’ve got to know quite a few of them.

As they try to get agreements from ministers who may be hissing like cats at each other, I suspect that their response to UKIP’s claims that they are in control would be “you’ve got to be kidding!”

As I write, the main items on today’s news are about NHS reorganisation, changes to the police, reforms in schools, and something about a footballer.

None of these have anything to do with the European Union.

EU procedures are involved when a common approach is needed, and these days that’s required more and more about all sorts of things.

Today, for example, I’ve replied to letters from constituents about tougher EU rules to govern the financial markets, measures to curb pollution from cars, and regulations to prevent the use of animals in the testing of cosmetics.

UKIP supporters may well believe that we don’t need rules to regulate banks, or to improve air quality, or to reduce suffering to animals.

If so they should say so clearly, instead of spouting fantasy about manipulative little green men and women in Brussels taking us over!

Chris Davies Liberal Democrat MEP for the North West