EUROPEAN Union membership costs the UK £30billion a year.

This is made up: £16billion for the Common Agricultural Policy -- half in tax and half in extra food costs; £10billion for over-regulation; and £4billion net cash. This comes to £500 per annum for each of us. It is eight times our railway budget and £5billion per annum more than our defence budget.

One billion pounds (£1,000million) builds, equips and runs indefinitely a decent district hospital. Looking ahead. The whole of continental Europe will be in steady economic decline for the next 50 years thanks to its falling demographic (population) trend. The UK, Ireland, Turkey, the USA, China and the Far East will go in the opposite direction.

Why stay on the Titanic?

D BULLEN (Mr), Albany Road, Blackburn.