IT cannot be right that the European Aviation Safety Authority (Easa) is pressing for an increase in pilots’ working hours – a move that will be working against safety, not for it, endangering the lives of plane passengers and crew.

It is good to hear that Britain’s pilots are not just rolling over and accepting these proposals, but, as the Civil Aviation Authority admits, they can object but will still be overruled by Easa, even though American research shows that pilot fatigue is to blame for between 15 to 20 per cent of accidents.

British pilots should be governed by British rules, which have served us well, and not be dictated to by EU officials and their harmonisation agenda. An opposition campaign by the British Airline Pilots’ Association has the UK Independence Party’s wholehearted backing.

Gambling with lives seems to be an EU penchant – let us not forget that while wanting to increase pilots’ hours it has already endangered patients by decreasing hospital doctors’ hours.

It really is time the British public had a say about Britain’s EU membership. Should 75 per cent of English, Scottish, Irish and Welsh laws be made in Brussels?

Dave Brothers, UK Independence Party, Durham.