Do we live in a democracy? Hardly. Do we live in a dictatorship? Increasingly. Yet the Great Dictator seems prepared to dictate away some of his power, though of course not to us, the people.

That is the anticipated scenario of one of Tony Blair's final acts in office. For at an EU summit on June 21, just days before he hands his Prime Ministerial reins to Gordon Brown, he is widely expected to back a new EU treaty, which will bestow more power on the European behemoth.

I say "expected" because few know Mr Blair's intentions. Parliament, the seat and fount of our democracy, certainly doesn't. For months the select committee of MPs responsible for home affairs has been trying to get Mr Blair to reveal his hand. To absolutely no avail.

Chairman John Denham says: "It has not been easy for us to discover what the Government's position is. We wanted to publish a report ahead of the summit so that Parliament could have an input into the discussions.''

Fat chance. The "treaty" will be a version of the EU Constitution rejected by voters in France and the Netherlands. But our Parliament has been given no opportunity to influence whatever views Mr Blair might take to the summit, or any commitment he might make in our name.

Before the French and Dutch stalled the constitution, Mr Blair insisted that in Britain, too, the "final say'' should rest with the people. Now, Downing Street's line is that the treaty is merely a tidying up exercise. But it is likely to set up an EU foreign ministry, pave the way for a US-style president, scrap national vetos and extend EU control over domestic law and order. It is a constitution by the back door, to which Tony Blair risks colluding.

It is said that Gordon Brown's hands could be tied. Tough for him. Of broader concern is that our democratic form of government, which took centuries of struggle to establish, is being bypassed, while we stand idly by.

Rightly scorned, the London Olympics' logo is dreadful for more than its sub-Nazi ugliness. Sponsors are to be allowed to fill the jagged pieces with images of their own choice - ie they will be using the logo to promote themselves. Whatever happened to Olympian ideals? Daft question.

Good to read that The Northern Echo's gardening correspondent, Brigid Press, enjoyed her visit to Holker Hall, near Grange-over-Sands. The Victorian Holker, pictured below, home of Lord and Lady Cavendish, is a particular favourite of my wife and I. Revisiting other country houses we often skip the house itself and confine ourselves to the gardens. But at Holker, which we visit annually, we always tour the house.

A key inducement is that there is no roped-off route. Visitors can wander freely in the rooms, where we nearly always spot something we failed to notice previously. Lord and Lady Cavendish also like sunlight in their home, whose rooms can therefore be seen as they are meant to look, not in the blinds-down gloom of National Trust properties, where fear of sun damage runs at a paranoic level. In addition, Holker's lovely woodland provides a decent walk, to be followed by tea in an attractively-converted barn. Can't wait till next time.