I WRITE with a feeling of exhilaration, and on the other hand a feeling of deep sadness. The French people have at last turned on our Brussels masters and, hopefully in future, like true patriots, will continue to think of France first and the United States of Europe last.

My sadness is that our young and hard-working MP Adrian Flook, has been removed by a devotee of the party first conceived by Labour Party castaways in 1982. When it comes to politics, it is for sure that many people have short memories. But I am particularly sorry for Adrian Flook and feel that had he received the support he deserved from Michael Howard he would still be our MP.

Many weeks ago I wrote to the Conservative Leader and suggested there was a great deal of disquiet among older people, particularly those of us who had served in the war years, that our politicians today were offering to the German/Franco alliance (the European Parliament), for free, all that so many millions had died and fought for.

I pointed out that, in my view, to concentrate on the same old issues of health, education and crime, important as they are, are not to clearly emphasise the vital importance of the sovereignty of England, was wrong - and that such a policy was leaving a clear and unobstructed playing-field for the United Kingdom Independence Party.

Many Conservatives supported UKIP and the policies they stood for but, not wishing to be disloyal to the party, they voted Conservative. Sadly, there were sufficient who decided to take a chance and vote for UKIP, with the very unfortunate result that we have lost a fine-up-and-coming MP in Adrian Flook.

T.E. MATTOCKS Bridge Street, Taunton