WHY do the pro-European movement members such as Mr Alexander (Times, January 14) have to resort to half-truths, when trying to convince people that the EU is good for us?

The UK pays a nett contribution to the EU, after deducting our £2-billion discount, and any money given back to us by way of grants and Euro-funding, of £9-billion. That means we donate £177-million per week every week. We could certainly pay our nurses more money, spend more on education and deal with the homeless if we left the EU.

As regards our trade with the EU, we have a deficit and always have had. We have a trade surplus with the rest of the world.

As regards joining the Euro, it states in the Maastricht Treaty that on joining a country will hand its gold reserves to the Central European Bank (which is the Bundesbank of Germany), and if after a period that country decides to leave the single currency, then its gold reserves will not be returned.

The president of the EU at the moment is Gerhard Schroeder, the German Chancellor, and he has stated that it is his intention to seek 'harmonisation of taxes', the cancelling of our £2-billion refund; and most of all the ending of the 'veto' by a country of proposals by other members of the EU.

As regards the £25 Mr Alexander mentions, he is confused; £25 per week is the sum a British family would save on its food bill, if we were not in the EU.

Any economist will tell you that once we join the single currency, then political union will follow. Money for defence budgets; education; home affairs are governed by the amount of money available and who is in charge of the money. It will not be the UK but the EU.

Richard C Hull

Westerly

Moorland Close

Yelverton