THE death of Sir James Goldsmith has passed with little comment, as has the demise of the Referendum Party.

Sir James had a flamboyant past and no doubt there will be revelations forthcoming to twitch the most straight-laced of suburban curtains.

As is our national pastime, there will also be those whose singular aim will be to destroy any lasting image of a "good man".

After all, he lived in Mexico didn't he, or was it France, or the UK? And wasn't he just trying to buy power through his Little Englanders in the Referendum Party?

To put the record straight, I believe that Sir James was perhaps the greatest patriot of this century. He sought no power for himself, nor for his movement. His creation of a Referendum Party was to voice democratic protest at political moves towards a federal Europe, the erosion of our national sovereignty and the transfer of parliamentary power from Westminster to Brussels, without consulting the electorate.

I am proud to have joined his party and to have stood in Hyndburn. I never met Sir James, but I shared his conviction and belief in our country. He gave me and many others the opportunity to stand up to be counted.

He asked nothing in return and gave us freedom to speak as we found. There was no hidden agenda, no whips to bully us on what to say. He thought only of his country. How many other politicians could say that?

As to the Referendum Party, the protest was made and heard by the people. Look how carefully the government now treads over European issues. Euro-sceptism is very much alive in both parties thanks to the efforts of Sir James and his party to expose the undemocratic "con" that was being perpetrated on us.

PHILIP CONGDON, (former parliamentary candidate, The Referendum Party), Hindle Fold Lane, Great Harwood.

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