'FULLY OAP' suggests that our membership of the EU is a good thing. I disagree. The European Union is a 60-year-old response to a 70-year-old problem. We need to move on.

The EU now accounts for about 46 per cent of our exports. Happily, that percentage is reducing but it is still a significant proportion.

The eurozone is in a terrible mess and, eventually, it will break up.

When it blows, it is likely to fragment the EU. Economic damage to Britain will be proportionate to our export exposure to the EU.

Over-exposure – as now – is a serious risk for the British economy, not a benefit, and it would be better if we were not shackled to this sinking ship.

The EU costs Britain around £13 billion a year. Net.

For this we get little except rhetoric about the benefits of pooled strengths and scare stories about the dangers of leaving – as we did about not joining the eurozone in the 90s. Those proved wholly false.

Elections to the European Parliament are a meaningless exercise - the European Parliament is simply there to rubber-stamp the directives it receives from the council, an unelected and unaccountable body. Had you heard of, let alone voted for, Juncker?

The EU provides little in pooled security. NATO has guaranteed security since World War Two.

EU member states have conflicting positions over issues such as Russia, Turkey and boat people.

Britain, an island far from the Mediterranean, could self-evidently manage immigration much better if it were outside the EU.

Given its negative trade balance with the EU (we import from them about £2,500 million more per month than we export to them), Britain could negotiate reasonable terms on leaving.

We would join Efta and Nafta and reforge historical economic links with the Commonwealth while seeking to greatly expand trade with the fast-growing Asian economies. 

This would give a vigorous future to Britain, free from the EU's  centralist drive for 'ever closer union', regaining our right to self determination but remaining the EU's friend.

The EU (previously known as the Common Market, EEC, who knows what it will be called next) is a socialist dream, think USSR.

We would be much better off if we cut ourselves free from this threat to our liberty.

– David Walker, Ruardean.