THE letter last week from the British Independence Party urging us to leave the European Union cites the prosperity of outsiders Switzerland and Norway as justification for British withdrawal.

Of course the Swiss have always kept their individuality and neutrality; they are not joiners. But their prosperity does not derive from cuckoo clocks and secretive banking. They make turbines and diesel engines for power stations and ships, locomotives and rolling stock, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, electronics and, among many other things, most of the lifts of our hotels and hospitals. All of which has nothing to do with being in or out of the EU.

As for Norway, she has not frittered away her North Sea resources, unlike some we could mention.

The EU is a great institution. Britain should stay in.

– R J Saunders, Monmouth.