LETTER : Too late to pull out of Europe
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Your support makes all the difference.Sir: The people, says Roger Pyrah (Letters, 20 March), voted for a commercial union with Europe believing that the country would retain its political independence. If they did that they were remarkably stupid although, to be fair, politicians of 1975 did a very good job in conveying that impression. In fact we chose to leave EFTA, which was organised precisely the way Mr Pyrah describes, to join the EEC, the federal destiny of which was plain to be seen by anyone bothering to look.
At the same time we displayed a callous disregard for Commonwealth friends whom we had induced to develop single-commodity economies based on supplying us with raw materials and food. Today EFTA is no more and the Commonwealth link is greatly weakened yet we remain an overpopulated island heavily dependent on imported food for survival. Prudence therefoe dictates that, having made our bed, we should lie on it.
In 1975 I voted to leave the EEC before it was too late. Today I would vote to stay in and for a single currency. The federal institutions do, however, need to be made more democratically accountable. The Commission should be made subordinate to the Parliament.
J A Davis
Bookham, Surrey
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