Writer’s defence of EU was outrageous (From Bucks Free Press)

Writer’s defence of EU was outrageous

12:00pm Monday 6th February 2012 in Your Letters

I AM writing in reply to Mr Mealing’s response (‘We get far more from EU than we put in’, January 27) to my earlier letter regarding the European Union and apologise for the protracted communication on this subject.

I could not, however, ignore the outrageous suggestion that the UK is a financial beneficiary of the EU. Even the European Commission accepts that this country is a net contributor. The TaxPayers’ Alliance puts the annual net cost of UK membership at 118 billion and that is small compared to other published studies.

My earlier figure of a 20 billion deficit was taken from one of the more modest analysis. As for the comments on the EU’s introduction of commercial fishing licenses, it is accepted that this resulted in a few people getting rich unfairly, whilst many fisherman struggled to make a living.

I cannot see that this is an excuse for the EU overseeing the demise of both the UK fishing industry and fish stocks.

The writer also suggests that some southern European states have failing economies because they do not have a culture of commerce and taxation, and EU funds fall foul to corruption and embezzlement. An extremely condescending view, but if he is correct, is this not even more reason to keep our distance?

To summarise, if Mr Mealing’s comments are offered in defence of EU membership, I rest my case.

Mrs Carol McCullough, Lyndhurst Close, Downley