SIR – In response to Francis Lankester’s letter ‘Same promises were made over Europe’ (Worcester News, March 7).

Let me help him in recalling exactly what did happen in 1975. About two years earlier, Edward Heath led the country into the EEC.

The 1975 referendum was then held to test public opinion as to whether we should stay in the trading block then known to most of us as the Common Market.

The question on the ballot paper, was, I believe: ‘Do you think that the United Kingdom should stay in the European Community (the Common Market)?’ The ‘yes’ supporters told us that this was a trading block, not as it is now mainly a political organisation set to control Europe.

When Mr Lankester says that the leading politicians of the day were in favour, it is just not so. Enoch Powell toured the UK and indeed Europe setting out the case against joining the EEC.

He argued that the trading agreement was just a ploy and that the eventual plan was political control.

He was right on this subject, just as he was right on so many other issues.

By the way, another ‘no’ supporter was Tony Benn.

Both Powell and Benn had massive support.

Powell was so opposed to joining the EEC and he was effectively driven out of the Tory party.

The way the Tories treated him was a lesson to the present Tory Members of Parliament. If they say ‘no’ to the Tory leadership on Europe they have little chance of progress in the party.

By the way, I voted ‘no’.

CARL HUMPHRIES
Chairman, United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), Worcester branch