IT is to be hoped that people will not be deceived by Conservative leader William Hague's statement that we should be "in Europe but not run by it."

He doesn't tell us how he proposes to achieve this miracle.

Will he revoke all the treaties signed by this country since 1972? To do that, our parliament will have to vote to repeal the European Communities Act of 1972, the legal basis for the supremacy of Community Law.

Save the pound? Is that until the next parliament, Mr Hague?

Save it forever is what I want to hear.

The British people are sick and tired of being lied to, Mr Hague. Tell us how many of your MEPs voted recently in the European Parliament for the pursuance of Corpus Juris, the EU-wide legal system, condemned by our Foreign Office, as a "threat to our sovereignty and human rights?"

Perhaps you are shy. Allow me, Mr Hague - every single one of them!

Corpus Juris will give the EU authorities the power to arrest and imprison anyone on suspicion of a crime against the EU for up to nine months without charge.

Actually though, all but three, the British MEPs voted for it, all the North West MEPs voted for the proposal.

Guess who will be immune from prosecution? Yes, you've guessed - the Commissioners.

At least Labour and the Lib Dems are honest in their enthusiasm for total European integration.

Me? I am honest enough to say that I want out. Do you?

VAL COWELL (UK Independence Party Candidate), Northwood Way, Poulton-le-Fylde.

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