I FIND it astonishing that while Parliament wrangles over Brexit, the EU has almost totally escaped scrutiny.

Only last week, veteran TV presenter Andrew Marr lamented that not one EU politician had ever appeared on his Sunday programme.

Instead, we are expected to swallow verbatim the united front presented by unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats like Juncker, Tusk, Barnier and Selmayr.

Regrettably, their pronouncements, however inappropriate, are all too frequently repeated without question by a biased press and media over here.

Yet we have an absolute right to leave – enshrined in Article 50.

Even the most ardent Remainers must admit that the EU is no longer the organisation it was, even two years ago.

The more it strives for ever-closer union, the stronger the resistance to it.

And there’s economic trouble ahead, too.

The once powerful Germany is on the cusp of recession and France, Italy and Spain dangerously close.

Soaring youth unemployment in Greece, Spain, Italy and France is 39, 33, 32 and 21 per cent, respectively, laying the ground for civil unrest.

Last week, a poll showed that 40 per cent of French voters now back ‘Frexit’ after 15 successive weeks of violent protests, triggered by President Macron imposing EU green taxes on those who can least afford them.

Responsibility for migrants and refugees is increasingly contentious, with many countries refusing more, while France has effectively closed her border with Italy.

She’s also withdrawn her ambassador, calling the new Italian government a ‘nationalist leprosy’ infecting the EU.

It’s hardly a picture of rosy contentment.

Meanwhile, the UK boasts record employment levels, our economy continues to grow, albeit modestly, and youth unemployment stands at 11 per cent.

Courage, hard work and ambition – that’s the way forward for our island nation now.