I WAS very interested to read the letter, published in the (national) Times of February 21, from Michael Heseltine, Kenneth Clarke and others, including the Earl of Stockton who was elected in June last year as a Member of the European Parliament for the UK South-West Region for Mr Hague's Conservative Party.

That letter begins: 'Britain is losing influence within the European Union because we are currently outside the single currency' and says also 'It is therefore important we make clear the advantages that could be gained by joining the euro if and when the economic conditions arise to make it in Britain's interests to do so'.

Your readers will remember that those statements completely agree with what I, but not the Earl of Stockton, stated in your interviews with us as published in your newspaper on June 3 1999.

Derek W Palmer of Lydford

One of the SW Region candidates for the Pro-Euro Conservative Party in the June 1999 European elections