In his long and virulent attack on LA O’Bee and UKIP (Letters, April 10), DR Smith twice throws in the word “empire”, so desperate is he to imply that anyone critical of the European Union must be stuck in the past.

There is the usual rubbish about millions of jobs being “linked to our membership” of the EU, when in actual fact these are linked to our trading in the European Economic Area, which will continue regardless of membership.

People forget that the EU is a political project, not an economic one, its true nature having been deliberately concealed 40 years ago.

As with many Europhiles, for Mr Smith the term “Commonwealth” is presumably unspeakable; it’s much more fun to trot out some pejorative reference to empire...!

However, while the EU’s share of world GDP is in long-term decline (down from 30 per cent in 1980 to 20 per cent now, and projected to be only 15 per cent in 2025), the Commonwealth economies are experiencing rapid growth (currently 7.3 per cent per annum).

Those Little-Europeans who would rather see us shackled to a listless zombie (and today less than ten per cent of UK GDP derives from exports to the EU) need reminding that in 1975 we not only surrendered to the EU Trade Commissioner our power to negotiate trade deals, but also renounced longstanding trade agreements with our Commonwealth friends.

This was a betrayal. It was also madness.

Only by leaving the EU can Britain’s destiny and economic prospects once again become global.

Colin Hingston, Southampton.