GRAHAM Palmer is absolutely right (Letters, August 7), that young people should be encouraged to take an interest in politics.

But nothing is more likely to turn them away from politics than the myth that we have given control of our country to ?a political regime we now call the European Union?.

The truth is that Britain has no more ?handed over control? to the European Union than have France or Germany or any of the other member states.

It would be impossible for us to hand over control even if we were stupid enough to want to because the Union has no purpose other than to represent the interests of its member states.

The member states control the European Union, not the other way around, and without the individual member states the European Union would not exist.

All policy decisions taken in the European Union are discussed in and must be approved by the Council of Ministers, in which the elected ministers of every member state ? including, of course, the United Kingdom ? sit. So our national interest is taken into account before any decision is approved, and we are party to every decision.

Despite all the hysteria about the draft constitution, the European Union has no supranational identity, and nor, unless every member state agreed, could it ever have one. At the present time few members, if any, want such an identity. Any one member alone ? Britain, for instance ? could block it if it were ever to be proposed.

Close co-operation with neighbours is vital to the prosperity and security of a trade-dependent country like the United Kingdom.

We put our future prosperity at risk if we turn our young people against the European Union with scare stories about a non-existent ?political regime? which for some mysterious reason wants to take away our independence.

We should encourage our young people to engage in Europe, not to fear it.

Christopher Denne

Churchtown Farm

Sydenham Damerel