AS predicted, Christopher Denne's letter advocating the flying of the European flag from Tavistock Town Hall on May 9 produced a tsunami of the usual clap-trap from local Ukippers and little Englanders.

A few facts in response to the europhobic distortions and misinformation. First of all our membership of the EU does not cost us £120-billion a year (Paul Mercer's figures) or £9.2-billion (George Mudge's figures). In 2010/11 the net cost will actually be £6.7-billion (Chancellor's Autumn Spending Review), approximately 1% of the UK's total public expenditure.

It is true that we are net contributors (Germany even more so) but do we really want to be grouped with the poorer members whose struggling economies mean they are net beneficiaries (what would that do for UKIP's national pride?) or labelled as grasping penny pinchers knowing the cost of everything and  the value of nothing?

And if we only want to look locally, let us not forget that without our membership of the EU there would be no University of Cornwall, no Peninsula Medical or Dental School, no Convergence funding for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, no Saltash Tunnel, no railway station in Gunnislake, no funding for the Alexander Centre project  to enable women to return to work, no Objective 5 funding for deprived rural areas of West Devon, no Konver funding for business and science parks in Plymouth — I could go on . . .

Finally, nobody wants the EU flag to replace our national flag – I will shortly be in France where every  town hall proudly flies the EU flag alongside the Tricolore.

I also have nothing against flying the flag of St George, but I would argue that the EU's contribution is considerably greater than that of a 3rd Century Roman soldier born in Turkey.

Malcolm Bower

Laburnum Cottage

Gunnislake

I WAS pleasantly surprised at the strength of feeling expressed in the letters in the Times (April 14)  The letters overwhelmingly (5 to 1) were against the EU in its various forms. 

Britain is at last coming to understand what it costs us to be 'part of Europe'. We do not want their flag, their rules, their legislation, or anything else that we have not had a chance to vote on.  I understand that the auditors (whoever they are) have not signed off the EU accounts for about 12 years or more, so what does that say about EU finances?

David Mitchell

Maynard Park

Bere Alston