PETER Stewart (Letters, September 27) is clearly more anti-Conservative than anti-EU.

It is true the Conservative Prime Minister Edward Heath signed us up to the EEC in 1972 but the Labour PM Harold Wilson held a referendum in 1975 when the British people voted two to one in favour of staying in. So it is the British people Mr Stewart should be attacking.

As for current economic woes and disparities in wealth, he would do well to reflect that the British government takes over 40 per cent of gross domestic product while the EU takes just one per cent. I know who I blame for the fact we are the most indebted people in Europe and it is not David Cameron.

So yes, if you are anti-Conservative by all means vote UKIP, their vote in Eastleigh effectively stopped us getting a Conservative MP; but it gave us a fully fledged EU federalist Liberal Democrat MP instead with a mere 500-vote majority).

Anti-Conservatives were no doubt very happy with that outcome but opponents to the EU will think more carefully before they vote UKIP again.

MRS BETTY SHAW, Fair Oak.