THERE are people who welcome European convergence because it is the only defence left against the spread of unrestrained market capitalism and the total subservience of governments to globalisation.

The idea that any country the size of Britain can run its own economy without being affected by international forces is pure moonshine.

If democracy is under threat, it is not from the European Union but from globalisation controlled from the boardrooms of multi-national corporations and supported by US military hardware.

There is a conflict between the US model of extremes of wealth and poverty now spreading to this country, and the European social model. It centres around the question of what an economy is for.

The Europeans still believe that an economy should be the servant of the people and a means of improving the quality of life of people and of society.

The US model sees the state as the servant of business. No matter how wealthy a country becomes, there is never enough to eradicate poverty, cut pollution, employ enough teachers, rebuild the railways, reduce crime or care for the old and infirm.

Social democracy has served the people of Europe well for half a century,creating the highest standards of living for the most people anywhere in the world, especially in Scandinavia, and continues to do so.

Should the man and woman in the street be taken in by the Eurosceptics, it would be their loss.

PETER NIELSEN,

Worcester.