IN the 1970s, many of us voted in the referendum to join a "Common Market" of Europe, a free trade area.

We were conned. What Edward Heath and his European cronies had in mind was a federal state and we are seeing that come into existence.

On the map of Europe in Brussels, the United Kingdom no longer exists. We are split up into numbered regions of Europe.

Will this be of any benefit to us? Consider what has already happened.

Most of our fishing rights have been taken and the Common Agricultural Policy has ruined our farmers.

Britain is a net contributor. Don't be fooled by projects being funded by Europe. It is our money that we have paid in or at least part of it.

When poorer nations join the EU, our contribution will be even greater to support them.

Many businesses have been closed down - from abattoirs to cheese makers - due to European legislation and more are to follow.

Directives which affect every person in the country pour out of Brussels every day.

Those rules are enforced to the letter in Britain and many of them are stacked against us while other member states openly flout them. Brussels now wants us to join a common currency, one which has already been devalued by 12 per cent since its launch.

They also want harmonisation of taxation - a very astute move when we remember that France and Germany have made no provision for their pensioners as yet.

Also Corpus Juris is envisaged - one judicial system throughout the community, not ours of course.

Is there more? Yes, plenty. MEPs, who should be representing us, have lavish lifestyles with over-the-top salaries, expenses, perks and hangers-on and corruption is rife throughout the whole of the European parliament.

We still have a British Commonwealth which has been let down very badly. There is only one party which is committed for getting us out of the jaws of Europe - the UK Independence Party.

I shall be voting for them on election day and if you really care about the United Kingdom as a sovereign nation, so will you.

M E BYSH (MRS), Knowlesly Road, Darwen.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.