I campaigned to keep Britain in the EU. Today I'm on the other side

The concessions he won amount to so little - and the problems with the EU are so large

David Cameron used his speech on the EU referendum to attack Boris Johnson's position (AFP/Getty Images)

It was little over a year ago I stood alongside MEPs at my university to advocate for Britain remaining inside the European Union. Much has changed since then.

Today I find myself on the other side. I have been bitterly disappointed by the Prime Minister's failure to achieve substantial reform for Britain. If the UK chooses to remain inside the EU, it will be shackled to a political union that is economically stagnant and appears increasingly unable and unwilling to respond to challenges and the concerns of members.

One such challenge Cameron has failed to address is the EU remaining institutionally undemocratic. The European Parliament, the only directly elected EU body, crucially lacks the power to initiate legislation and therefore we, the people of Europe, lack the ability to create laws. Instead, the power to initiate legislation rests solely with the non-elected European Commission. This is important given that 13 per cent of laws in Britain are created by the EU and that 2/3 of our regulation is influenced by Brussels.

It is ironic that the leadership of parties in the UK who are ardent supporters of Lords reforms, a weaker body than the commission, seem content to ignore the democratic deficits in the EU.

But we should not expect the democratic deficit to be eliminated any time soon. Cameron did successfully manage to secure Britain the power to escape ever closer integration, but the EU has proved unwilling to address its fundamental faults. If the EU was a country applying to itself it would not satisfy the democratic standards required for membership. It is for this reason Britain must leave.

Alongside this is the fact Cameron has failed to address British concern over how our immigration system operates. Our system remains broken, discriminating against non-EU immigrants who often have the necessary skills our economy needs and have historic links to Britain through the Commonwealth. Cameron has claimed his reforms will help bring down EU migration to Britain through agreed changes in welfare policy. Although his reforms are welcome in principle, they will do little to help reduce immigration as the vast majority of immigrants move to Britain to work, not claim benefits.

I am a candidate for the 2016 local elections in Colchester, one of the fastest growing towns in Britain, where the impact of unfettered immigration from the EU on public services and housing are clear. It is important, of course, not to blame immigrants themselves for these problems but nor does this mean we should be afraid of advocating for a fairer and more regulated immigration system.

The EU is no longer working for Britain and other members' interests. Its unrelenting belief in a federal union, its stated goal, has left it unable to reform for the better. Its refusal to change is fostering the extremism it aimed to alleviate. From Sweden to Greece and all in between, moderates are shunned or look to be punished by the electorate as dissatisfaction with the EU comes to the forefront. With the EU unwilling to change, Britain must leave and it is disheartening that principled out campaigners, such as Sajid Javid, have abandoned values for political gain.