Pace Christopher Denne (Letters, April 7), I am sure that many share my pleasure that Tavistock Town Council are not recognising this spurious 'Europe Day'. Who decided, and on what democratic mandate, that May 9 should be marked in this way? 

Mr Denne's remarks on European Union 'contributions' are, I think, a little confused, as the United Kingdom is a net contributor to the EU.

Let us see the Union flag and the Cross of St George, and none of this European flag nor the contrived, unasked for and unwanted 'Devon flag'.

Kevin Ross

NO doubt Christopher Denne and his bunch of Euro-loving European Movement followers will not be happy until the Euro flag replaces the Union Jack as our national flag!

He trots out all the usual Eurotrash about peace, jobs and prosperity, totally ignoring the fact that good old GB will have to help bail out yet another European country because of the failure of the EU system to allow those in the Euro zone to look after their own finances.

As for the 'Gem' bridge, with the amount of money this country has contributed over the years to the EU we could have built hundreds of bridges and a lot more besides and I look forward to the day when the whole corrupt system sinks into its own mess. Thank God we never joined the Euro.

So congratulations to Tavistock Town Council for sticking to their guns and refusing to fly this ridiculous Euro flag.

No doubt someone will write and call me a 'Little Englander' so I will save them the trouble — yes I am and dammed proud of it! 

Paul Mercer 

Ivy Cottage

 Peter Tavy

Christopher Denne goes to great lengths to persuade us of the benefits we gain from being in the EU. He doesn't tells us that we pay £48-million a day into the EU.

There is no such thing as European money. They give us back a small amount of our own money for specified projects, usually that then have to be match funded. The remainder goes to other EU countries, apart from the astronomical amount wasted in bureaucracy, inefficiency, huge salaries and excessive expenses. 

We pay this for the privilege of having an unelected, totalitarian government overriding our elected parliament and imposing its, often unacceptable, laws and regulations on us. EU membership actually costs us approximately £120-billion a year (source: Taxpayers' Alliance 2010) when including the costs to British business of complying with all the rules and directives. Benefits! What benefits? I appreciate the Tavistock Town Council having the courage to refrain from flying the EU flag.

Terence Scarborough

Uplands, Tavistock

LET us all be thankful that the Tavistock Town Council turned down the request to fly the European flag on May 9. Despite what Mr Denne said there is no European money. The money he refers to is only a small part of the money we pay in every day.

The Office of National Statistics state in their report for 2009 that the nett contribution for that year was £9.2-billion or £25-million per day every day of the year. That would pay to put as many Bobbies on the beat as we require and also more than enough nurses for the NHS and still have money to spare.

He tells us we need to be in the EU to trade with them. What rubbish. The USA does more trade with the EU than we do. I don't think even Mr Denne would suggest that America join the EU. Norway and Switzerland are two of the wealthiest countries in Europe but not in the EU. (maybe that is why they are doing so well).

As for keeping the peace, who is going to start a war and about what? Being forced into a European Superstate is far more likely to cause problems. Who would have thought 30 years ago that the iron fist of the Soviet Union would be broken by people power?

Due to our membership of the European Union we have already contributed many billions of pounds to the bailout of Ireland and Greece and are now committed to help financing Portugal. I am not against helping others but I think we should put our own house in order first. Surely the time has come to have a referendum on our continued membership of the EU.

Over the centuries England has always played a major part in world events due to independence, hard work, and the ingenuity of our free thinking people. Let us all fly the flag of St George on April 23 and be proud to be English.

George Mudge

REGARDING the letter from Christopher Denne concerning Tavistock Town Council's decision not to fly the European flag on May 9. Yes, the EU does provide money for many projects in Britain, including Devon, but has he considered that it is our money that is being returned to us? We pay the European Union many thousands of pounds each year, not from choice but from their demands. Is it too much to ask them to return at least some of it for whatever projects are needed?

The council will not be seen as ungrateful for not flying the flag, but as one which stands up for itself rather than follow the herd.

I for one will not be shedding a tear at not seeing the EU flag flying over the town hall. I will certainly support the flying of the flag of St George on April 23.

Margaret Darke

Baring Court, Lewdown

But not everyone is against . . .

I AM very surprised and saddened to read that Tavistock Town Council has decided not to fly the European Union flag on May 9, although more enlightened councils throughout Britain and Europe will be proud to celebrate Europe Day.

I suspect that I am like most of your readers in belonging to various clubs, societies and associations and supporting various sports clubs. Like most of your readers I don't always agree with everything that these bodies do but I do agree with their overall aims and objectives so I'm happy to maintain my membership. So it is with Europe.

And by maintaining my active membership I retain the right to influence and vote on their decisions, instead of sitting on the fence, sulking like a spoilt brat, as Tavistock's Town Council seems determined to do.

For about 2,000 years Britain has shared a common culture with the rest of Europe, a culture which embraces our concepts of democracy and Christianity. Of course we have had our bitter arguments and violent wars but these have been mainly dynastic and nationalistic whilst our common political, religious and artistic culture has united us.

Tavistock, with its ancient abbey and churches and its current festival of art and music, should be proud to be part of Europe's cultural heritage and content to enjoy the economic and peaceful benefits of our membership of the European Union.

Alan Hosking

Shelley Avenue

Tavistock