8:20am Tuesday 1st July 2008
THERE is no truth in John Hodson's assumption (HAS, June 26) that Britain has lost its independence, or by other HAS Eurosceptics that all decisions governing the country are taken in Brussels.
Another correspondent, Eric Wilson, said that the UK subsidises the EU every week with at least £1bn (HAS, June 24) when a contribution is given once a year. In 2007 this was £3.9bn. It works out at just over £2 per person.
Each national government among the EU member states is given due consideration for their needs and difficulties - eg, in fulfilling all the demands of new treaties.
Before the summit meeting a year ago Tony Blair negotiated successfully for various UK optouts from the Lisbon Treaty.
Thus, our independence was made secure and we could not be drawn into military conflict against our will.
John Heslop (HAS, June 24) and others still do not recall that Gordon Brown told the Speaker of the House of Commons last autumn that the concept of a constitution for the EU was abandoned.
No promise of a referendum applies to the Lisbon Treaty. The general opinion about referenda is that they are unreliable measures of public opinion unless they require a simple yes/no answer to two fully understood alternatives.
E Whittaker (Ms), Richmond North Yorkshire.
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