I WISH to respond to the letters from two avid EU enthusiasts in recent editions of the County Gazette.

When we signed up to join the Common Market, that is just what we thought it would be, a collaboration to open up borders for trade and tourism.

My only misgiving at the time was that it was the concept of European socialists, led by Messieurs Monnet, Spaak and Schuman.

I think even they would be surprised at how the edifice which is now the EU has wormed its way into every aspect of our lives, however petty. Even that most ardent socialist, Tony Benn, realised what was happening and warned us against it.

Mr Griffin evidently approves of the “hundreds if not thousands” of laws and regulations dumped upon us by means of EU Directives.

Why would Brussels creep into our homes to decree the permitted power of our vacuum cleaners, composition of our light bulbs and of garden pesticides, to mention just three items?

Some of the EU’s regulations may be sensible but it should surely be for our elected government to decide, rather than just rubber-stamping and enforcing these edicts?

Mr Leniston claims we never lost sovereignty. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry at this suggestion!

READ MORE: LETTER: 'We never lost our sovereignty'

I have restrained myself about the EU’s shortcomings, not least their inability to balance the books to the satisfaction of their auditors and the performance of shuffling their parliament, between Brussels and Strasbourg every month.

The EU only wants two things, our money and the ability to control our lives.

ANTHONY COSTOBADIE
Ilminster