Financial burden of Europe
Last week the Daily Telegraph informed us that every individual in Britain pays £873 each to the European Union every year and rising - and for no perceivable benefit. Don't even listen to the pro-feds' fairy tales of 70 per cent of Britain's trade being with the EU.
The EU Central Bank's own figures show that our share of trade with Europe has declined year-on-year since 2000 and, in February 2006, the UK was in substantial deficit with eight EU countries and barely in surplus with the other two.
Listen instead to two ex-commissioners, Neil Kinnock and Chris Patten, both of whom confirm that the UK could prosper outside the EU.
Where do these obscene amounts of money go to in Europe? The money goes on MEPs, each of which cost us £1 million every year - and we have 86! It goes on private schools for the children of EU employees, it provides unelected commissioners with gold-plated salaries and pensions, it subsidises workers in member countries richer or as rich as the UK - an illogical nonsense.
It provides trouble for the UK, trouble for our fishing grounds, heavy industry and mining, trouble for our railway system and trouble for our utilities.
Bob Wydell, Oswestry
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