I WAS one of the 33 per cent who voted in the 1975 referendum to come out of the European Community in spite of the mainstream advice of our three largest political parties.

It is significant that this referendum was not offered to the British public until some two years after the Conservative government had already taken us into the then EEC.

I had hoped that we would have joined the European Free Trade Area of six successful countries which included Austria, Switzerland and Sweden.

EFTA countries were not involved in the Cold War arms race and thus were very unlikely to be on the receiving end of a nuclear attack as the UK was.

However, as most former EFTA countries are now in the European Union I believe we should get up front in Europe and join the euro currency.

I, for one, am fed up of paying commission for millions of lira and thousands of worthless pesetas etc.

Also, British workers would benefit from a better standard minimum wage. Cars and other commodities would be cheaper. Both our trade union leaders and captains of industry favour the euro. I find it strange that the anti-euro brigade have displayed a deafening silence about the American takeover of the UK economy since the Second World War.

If the price of changing slot machines is so costly, why did we not have any scaremongering about the recent alterations they needed for the new £2, 50p and 5p coins?

Now we are in Europe, let's make the most of it. Britain has had its industries decimated - we can no longer go it alone.

TOM CULBERT, Shropshire Drive, Wilpshire, Blackburn.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.