AT last the cat is out of the bag. Edward Heath did know in 1973 that what he was volunteering the nation for what was not a simple trading organisation, called the Common Market, but was the forerunner of the gradual integration of Britain into a federal Europe with a single currency.

Under the 30-year rule documents have just been released which show how we were deceived. They reveal that the Foreign Office warned Mr Heath that membership of the Common Market could lead to the abolition of the Pound and a European "Superstate".

In spite of the Foreign Office's warnings, Mr Heath continued to assure voters that membership would not result in any erosion of essential national sovereignty: Britain was simply joining a group of countries for trading purposes. And look at us now! Another Summit was held in Nice in December and again the people were not told anything about decisions which will affect our future. Britain was insisting that on three issues, tax, social security and border controls, we would never give up our vetoes. Mr Blair repeated this again and again. He claimed a victory after the Summit because he refused to give way.

Now it emerges that these issues had already been put on hold for five years anyway and were never threatened. Hardly a victory, more a putting-off of the inevitable. But it was done to make Mr Blair look as if he was defending Britain's national interests. Can you wonder at the growing cynicism of the voters of all parties when something like this happens?

For the sixth year running the Court of Auditors has refused to approve EU accounts because of persistent irregularities. It seems fraud still thrives in the EU yet no heads roll and no one is called to account. It must be a fraudsters' heaven over there and a far cry from the group of nations which Mr Heath assured us was merely a trading coalition.

The people of this country were deliberately deceived with no mention of the intended consequences. And look at us now!

MISS EUNICE MAYES,

Ostrich Lane, Prestwich.