I FIND the current discussions regarding this country’s EU membership just a little perplexing.

We joined the common market after electing a Conservative government which promised (presumably) to do just that. We then elected a coalition which gave us the choice as to whether to leave or stay. We voted to stay.

In the 1980s, Mrs Thatcher negotiated a rebate when it was plain for all to see that we were paying far too much per head for our membership. The Tories, under John Major, agreed major treaty changes at Maastricht. This was all done openly, with everyone knowing what was required, pan European Human Rights Act included.

Further chances to renegotiate were missed when the EU was extended eastwards. We must have known what was coming.

David Cameron said that he would not recommend ‘staying in’ if he fails to get treaty change. Unequivocal.

So what is everybody worried about with the agreements we have already signed up to?

It seems to me that only those actively involved in government and lawmaking, powerful movers and shakers in the business of moving large sums of money across borders, and those too idle to get off their fat behinds and look for work, have anything to lose by becoming more integrated.

The EU is a wonderful opportunity. We should grasp it with both hands and never let go.

STEWART MITCHELL
Bernard Close, Yarnton