> The EU has a serious democratic deficit and this will never be resolved.

Somewhat true, but so does the UK with its unelected upper house! Having Ian Botham made a permanent legislator because of his "loyalty" to the Party is not really the stuff of a democratic country.

The EU does have flaws, but that's not the basis on which Brexit was fought.

That's a tu quoque fallacy. Just because the UK has an unelected upper house doesn't mean that this justifies the EU having a democratic deficit.

Two wrongs don't make one right.

>The EU does have flaws, but that's not the basis on which Brexit was fought.

This is the whole point of my initial comment. You can't just dismiss all criticism of the EU as racist and xenophobic. That just causes more divisiveness and bad will.

as I'm sure you well know, the Lords is completely subordinate to the Commons (the elected house); it essentially acts as a scrutinising committee

the (elected) EU parliament cannot initiate legislation, only the (unelected) commission can

EU: the elected parliament is a rubber stamp on the unelected commission's agenda

UK: the unelected house is a rubber stamp on the elected house's agenda

Considering the head of the Commission and all the Commissioners are chosen by the governments of the EU nations and voted on by the Parliament this is a bit disingenuous.

It's a bit like saying that the UK in undemocratic because the civil service drafts the laws.