THERE sure are strange things going on within the ranks of the EU if the reckonings of Brian Dash (Letters, June 9) are to be believed.

He attempts to have us believe that Italy is a larger contributor than the UK when only a year ago they were almost bankrupt along with their neighbours Greece.

He has a smooth way of wilting our contribution from £55 million down to £15 million as if that is some kind of excuse to stay as EU members but that cash would be better spent on British infrastructure whatever the total amount may be.

It makes no sense to pay out £11.1 billion and then receive £5.7 billion back as a rebate when a payment of £5.4 billion is what it all works out anyway.

Simple arithmetic. I suppose it’s done that way to a make it look as though they are giving us something.

He then contradicts himself by stating we are the fourth largest contributors behind Germany, Italy and France and later states we are equal with France, these EU fanatics will twist words and figures every which way to keep us tied to the bureaucratic assembly.

As for the old adage of job losses, a mere myth of course, can one truthfully imagine all these car giants turning their backs on one of their most lucrative customers and outlets, to say nothing of our manufacturing capability, Ref: the loss of “Ford” (as members to Turkey, non-members).

I would have thought the outcome of the European elections would have spelt it out loud and clear to all other parties that the British public have had a gut full of EU nonsense and wish to get back on course as a self-governing free sovereign nation as we once were, very successfully.

L. A. O’BEE, Southampton.