YOUR correspondent L Spiteri queries what life would be like if the UK were outside the EU.

Well, there are three examples close to home we can learn from - Norway, Switzerland and Iceland, which are all outside the EU.

All three are economic success stories, but let's just focus on Norway. It has a population of five million, has higher living standards than the UK, has its own currency, only has to pay a modest membership fee for membership of the European Economic Area - which gives access to the EU's single market - and has low unemployment and strong economic growth..

In addition, it punches well above its weight on the international scene, precisely because it is not in the EU. It played a key role in the Israeli-Palestine dispute with the so-called 'Oslo accords' and frequently hosts other prestige international gatherings.

And to top it all, unlike the UK, which has a large national debt, Norway, partly though wise use of its oil and maritime resources, has a huge national surplus of £70bn.

Many other countries the world do well without being in an economic union.

TONY BENNETT,

Harlow, Essex.