WHAT is it about the EU elite that they demand an additional £5.3bn for their budget. Britain is already paying nearly £18bn every year. Councils in our region, together with the Government, are imposing cuts in order to balance the books.

The EU should follow suit and cut its coat according to our cloth.

We have been sucked into propping up the Euro, obliged to pay billions to help Greece and Ireland, with billions more in readiness as other EU member nations on the brink of collapse go under.

The single currency is about to fail while its so-called leaders take extreme measures to protect their project. Although we are not part of the Euro currency as members of the EU we are forced to cough up more and more of our money.

It is interesting to note that the EU is giving £6bn to Belarus to encourage it to release political prisoners.

We need to take back our powers to govern ourselves and change our relationship with the EU; after all British people know what is best for British people.

John Waiting, Guisborough.