Why being in the EU just doesn’t add up

From: Mr I Oglesby, High Catton Road, Stamford Bridge, York.

JAMES Reed’s statement (The Yorkshire Post, October 19) that “Yorkshire is a significant recipient of money from Brussels” is misleading, to say the least. Brussels collects taxpayers’ money including over £20bn per year from the UK, the second biggest net contribution to the EU. A percentage of this is given back to be spent in accord with EU orders. However, the Europhile media give maximum publicity to these rebates, as if it was EU generosity.

The UK should be spending its own money and ditching the unelected, profligate hierarchy in Brussels where accounts are never audited and incentives and pressures plumb the depths. The determination to create a superstate with the necessary, all-powerful EU police and pan-military control, is a step too far for the UK.

From: Amjad Bashir,

Conservative MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber.

THANK you for publishing James Reed’s thoughtful and wellinformed article about Britain’s reform negotiations in the EU and the prospect of a Brexit.

I agreed with much that he said, but I thought he overlooked one important factor. He fell into the common mistake of thinking that our negotiators are going round Brussels pleading for concessions to be made as a special favour to the UK.

In fact the changes we are pressing for would benefit the whole of the EU, not just ourselves, and that is how they are being presented. Without radical reform not only will the UK surely leave, but the EU will surely fail.

From: Hilary Andrews, Leeds.

I TOTALLY agree with Jonathan Lindsell (The Yorkshire Post, October 21) about the consequences of leaving the EU. Surely it must be easier to agree a trade deal if only one, rather than a multiple of conflicting interest parties, is at the negotiating table?

I think that we would do much better trade without the encumbrance of the other members of the European Union. We would also be able more to control our borders and keep our sovereign state safe.