Its all in the mind(set)
Having flown permit and certified on both sides of the Atlantic I can tell you that the US system of allowing night and IMC for permit aircraft works well provided it is interpreted sensibly.
Factors getting in the way of this are - generally worse Wx over here, very limited range of night flying destinations over here and higher population density over here i:e you are more likely to hurt someone on the ground if you mess up.
I agree with a previous poster - there is a huge chasm of difference between ascending/descending through a couple of thousand feet of warm stratus to get on top and flying in solid IMC/icing having departed into windy OVC 0200 and landing into the same.
IMHO the best way is to continue with the current system, i:e loosely interpreted VFR for permit aircraft, the minute the CAA get involved the price will become astronomical, the aircraft will weigh a ton and you will be wishing you had never asked for it - after all if you do mess it all up in IMC the chances are you are not going to be around to face the music, so why do you need it to be legal?
SB