MARK Harper MP recently reminded us that the referendum on AV was the first national one for 36 years and that he was responsible for taking it through parliament.

I remember voting 'yes' in that first ever referendum, in which we were asked if we wanted to join the EEC – European Economic Community. No-one, I suspect, could have imagined its development into the mess of pottage now confronting us.

The EU, as it now describes itself, is the most profligate, wasteful organisation in the world. Our net contribution is £48 million every single day and growing. There isn't enough space on this page to list details of the EU spending. Suffice to say that their accounts have not been cleared by auditors for years.

Another long list of interferences in our sovereign rights calls for votes for prisoners, who we can and cannot ask to leave the country etc, etc.

The people of this country are being betrayed by all politicians and if we are to surrender to them at least it should be the people who wave the white flag, not politicians.

Give us a referendum on the EU, Mark.

– Malcolm Charnock, Lydney.