CONGRATULATIONS on publishing the various letters about the EU and foot and mouth. At long last there is a debate going on about the EU and its impact on the UK. This doesn't seem to be happening in many newspapers.

Mrs Jennifer Roberts (Facts on Europe Correct, Citizen, May 3, 2001) provides a detailed answer to the wrong question, which is standard politics but unenlightening. In her first letter of April 12 she was blaming the EU for what was, and is, British government policy. That was what was incorrect.

In her recent letter she acknowledges that the UK government could have vaccinated from the end of March. But goes on to spoil this conversion to facts by overlooking the matter that the reason why there was a delay to the end of March was because the UK government didn't file the paperwork because it didn't want to vaccinate. This was utterly routine and there were no externally imposed conditions that created any fresh problems.

If the British people want to know what the sovereignty of the British government is really worth and for which the Democracy Movement and the UK Independence party fight so diligently, could I just note the zeal with which William Hague enthused over George W Bush's 'Star Wars 2', castigating Blair in Parliament for daring to have a hint of reservation. On the same day Rupert Murdoch visited No 10 and two day later articles by Blair appeared in the Murdoch papers. So there we have it. The Tories behave as though we were part of the USA -- dubiously elected President and all -- and enthuse over whatever the US does regardless of British interests, and New Labour is petrified of a media mogul. Give me the EU any day.

Dispassionate information about the EU is best obtained via public sources of information such as libraries.

M J Turner,

Lightburne Avenue,

St Annes.