DESPITE the failure of the recent European Union summit to agree a new Constitution, the threat to our remaining democratic freedoms is real enough.

Indeed, many of the facets of a federal superstate have already been established, or soon will be.

Consider the Governments regionalisation policies. The Governments proposed regional assemblies will increase bureaucracy, which can only reduce the quality and quantity of essential services.

Moreover, regionalisation will split up England into eight regions, which will be answerable directly to Brussels, bypassing our elected Parliament in Westminster and, in the process, abolishing our existing structure of local government -- including 1,000-year-old county councils.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be treated as separate European regions outside the United Kingdom nation state.

The European Union and its entire works remains the greatest threat to our political freedom since 1945 and we must continue to highlight the drift towards irrevocable political union which is taking place without our consent.

PHILIP DULY, The Freedom Association, Bridgnorth, Shropshire.