TERRY James (You Say, Tuesday, December 31) tells us that the "the pot is empty" when it comes to finding money for the NHS, transport, the elderly and so on.

I quite agree with him. But, unfortunately, we have to give billions, year in, year out to the EU.

Perhaps Mr James would care to do some research and find out exactly what our losses to the EU have been over the past 30 years and report back.

He also appears to disapprove of our helping the USA with the operation at Fylingdales. I would ask what would have happened had the USA not helped us - and Europe in general - back in the 1940s?

Had it not been for the USA sending troops over here, then the outcome of the Second World War might have been very different.

I can hear the cry now - "the US bled us dry in the war" - but is not the EU slowly bleeding us dry?

What has our costly membership of the EU done for us? The common agricultural policy is, as everyone knows, a total failure; likewise the fishing policy, which has resulted in us having virtually no fishing industry at all.

The EU Commission has proved to be corrupt. Why put up with this situation?

To surrender our sovereignty, our ability to run our own financial affair and our ability to govern ourselves would be the height of folly.

We must not do it! An alliance with the Commonwealth and the USA is a far better option.

E F SHOWELL,

Fernhill Heath,

Worcester.