Sir - I note from an email sent to me that German Vice Chancellor, Sigmar Gabriel writes in an Italian daily La Repubblica: "If we don't manage together over the coming years, to modernise Europe, make it less bureaucratic, respect national, regional and municipal responsibilities, then a large bourgeois majority of Britons - pushed by UKIP - will vote against Europe

"The UK's exit from the EU would signal the beginning of the end of the European project."

Gabriel also argues: "We need to rebuild and re-position Europe. The new (European) Commssion will have to learn not to always give itself new powers."

Fascinated I consulted the Concise Oxford Dictionary and Roget's Thesaurus as to possible definitions of "bourgeois" and found the following variety: "commonplace", "unimportant", "lower humbler classes", "vulgar", "base", "ignoble", "morally of low position and reputation", "plebian", " a member of the middle classes of humdrum or conventional middle class ideas." ("Humdrum": "commonplace, dull.")

For the opposite I found "nobility", "magnanimity", "morally elevated", "splendid". ( "Noblesse oblige?")

If as Herr Gabriel implies we bourgeois plebs. of the lower classes will vote against Europe, it will be thankfully as a result of a plebiscite on the subject, definition: "direct vote of all electors of State on important public question, public expression of community's opinion .." (Latin: plebis, commons and scitom. decree)

I am unclear as to whether Herr Gabriel was aware of his somewhat derisory tone but he may be assured that I am happy to be a British pleb. with a plebiscite on the subject of the grandly entitled European "project". Mr. Cameron, please make sure that you will be as good as your word when the time comes for our plebiscite

Wendy Hands

Upton-upon-Severn