READING through the letters column of the Review on the EU referendum, particularly that from Bob Harris of Berry Hill, one can be forgiven for thinking that Mr Cameron’s travels around European capitals to gain support for his great EU crusade does not amount to a can of beans.

  In the PM’s own words ‘‘We will have the best of both worlds – participate in the trade as a full member but not lumbered with moving towards a political union, the Euro, common defence and Justice systems, share in immigrant quotas, choose who we allow to come in and benefit from our high wages, and social benefits, maintaining our sovereignty.’

The promised economic benefits of being in or out of Europe are illusory.

A House of Commons briefing paper (06091, January 19) on UK-EU economic relations concludes ‘There is no definitive study of the economic impact of the UK’s EU membership or the costs and benefits of withdrawal.

“Framing the aggregate impact in terms of a single number, or even irrefutably demonstrating that the net effects are positive or negative, is a formidably difficult exer-

cise.”

We are living in a century where populations are exploding across the globe and the resultant dash for scarce resources polluting the natural environment.

Adam Smith’s economics based on infinite land, water, and mineral resources, perfect competition and infinite numbers of invisible hands working in unison to meet demand at a price set by the market is no longer seen as reality.

People have stopped believing in promises of a better tomorrow from politicians at election time.

It will be cuts and lowering standards of living from now on.

Decades of misguided charity from the richer world in the form of overseas aid has allowed populations to multiply at locations which previously were hostile to life.

Fast transport and

instant communications now allow people to have clear view of distant lands where the grass looks greener.

Populations armed with smart phones are now marching towards the bright lights of Europe encouraged by do-gooding charities providing food, water, and medical aid to expectant mothers along the way.

Human rights lawyers are making a good living out of the human misery.

Europe has forgotten that the Roman Empire was invaded and turned into a wasteland for over a thousand years by a similar process.

It does not take great intellectual prowess to reason that reforming the EU is a hopeless task and also that wealth distribution and social equalisation have been the pipe dream of socialists for over a century – the Russians and the Chinese had given up on Karl Marx.

Mr Cameron and the British public need to think clearly whether it is at all possible to benefit from being a member of a club without subscribing to its founding ideals.

We cannot be in the EU just for the beer.

We need to ask: is Europe in our hearts? The answer probably is no.

– Venk Shenoi, Blaisdon.