YOUR article on the success of UKIP in the recent elections shows people have real concerns about the EU that are not being heard. It also shows that money and a television personality can capture votes, because if people realised what UKIP really stood for they would probably think twice about voting for them.

UKIP want Britain to leave the EU, but they are in favour of economic globalisation and a stronger World Trade Organisation (WTO). The US-dominated WTO believes free trade is more important than environmental regulation and have forced us to accept dairy products with growth hormones and are now trying to force GM on us.

UKIP also suggest linking into the North American Free Trade Area. This draconian trade agreement would cement Britain?s place in the world as the 51st state of America and effectively stop us passing many health and safety laws.

Not a single UKIP candidate signed a pledge to increase accountability of MEPs and end the EU gravy train. In fact more Green Party candidates signed the pledge than members of all the other UK parties put together. With so few signing it is unsurprising that people are disillusioned with Europe.

We urgently need a reformed EU. The Green Party believes true reform starts at grassroots level. It means more local democracy, supporting local businesses and nurturing the domestic economy. It means recognising the EU for the useful tool for progress that it could become, by standing up to the US on issues such as climate change and human rights, but not having a single currency or the proposed EU constitution or ever more centralisation.

Research published by Friends of the Earth shows that in the last EU Parliament UKIP MEPs had the worst record in Europe for voting in favour of protecting the environment. I wonder how many UKIP voters knew this on election day? Not surprisingly, Friends of the Earth found that Green Party?s MEPs had the best voting record!

Martin Quinn

West Devon Green Party

co-ordinator

Old Exeter Road, Tavistock

THE analysis you published (June 17) of the way Torridge and West Devon voted in the Euro election leads to only one incontrovertible conclusion: that 63% of the voters taking part wish to support policies that lead to the reining back of the inflated ambitions of a failing and largely corrupt European bureaucracy.

The UKIP offered a simplistic, strident and ultimately unrealistic approach, the Conservatives took on a subtler, less confrontational line, as part of the much wider political platform.

UKIP?s success in the short-term underlines the growing frustration and disillusionment of a large number of people, including many traditional Conservative voters, at the growth of the monster that seeks to rule Europe and us. In the context it may have served a useful purpose.

It is essential that if the wishes of those who seek to constrain the EU and to return to the UK the many rights so carelessly discarded by Mr Blair are to be realised, there must be at the forthcoming general election a unified voice in support of the only party with the potential and the will to carry out a reasoned programme to achieve this.

I urge those who forsook their former Conservative allegiance to think carefully. Those who have never voted Conservative before should also understand that splitting the pro-UK vote at the next election will surely guarantee the submission of the country to the Brussels bully boys.

Geoffrey M Stowell

Branch chairman

Bere Alston Conservative Association