Peter, your point 2 is interesting, because we are constantly told by ministers in the Government that the previous government has bound them to accept EU laws.
One example I came across in today's Daily Mail: from 1st May 2011, any EU citizen can claim housing benefits in Britain up to hundreds of pounds a week, plus 65 pounds a week unemployment benefit and council-tax benefits, and all they have to do is to be resident for 3 months in 'the UK' (as they all call it), and prove that they have been looking for work (nothing easier than that!)
Many are expected to come from eastern Europe, according to the Daily Mail.
Until now, they had to have worked at least 1 year in Britain to get unlimited benefits.
The competent minister explained that Labour bound the present Parliament into accepting this, because in May 2004, when the EU expanded East, a law was made in London by Labour that gave 7 years for Britain to introduce this clausus, and that it CANNOT be revoked, or repealed!
However, contrary to what Barry wrote recently, when stating that the European Court of human rights has nothing to do with the EU (it has), if Britain refused to conply with the laws of this Court, in theory Britain could even be expelled from the EU!
I informed myself on this, so there is at least one way out!
A number of signatures are on the Lisbon treaty, including that of the monarch.
