European Commission hoping to resurrect the rejected constitution

The main event is taking place in Strasbourg, where the European Commission is meeting this week to resurrect the European Union constitution, despite the fact that France and the Netherlands have voted against it and throughout Europe, there is a majority against it.

Since 70 per cent of the EU's legislation passes into British law without even debate in the House of Commons, what do those whom we elect to represent us do to reflect our opinions about the EU? How do they justify the salaries, expenses and privileges accorded them as our representatives?

So much has the Commons been emasculated by foreign, unelected government in Brussels that politics has become the exclusive preserve of politicians responding to the string pulling of hidden masters whose stratagems for Europe are inimical to our democratic freedoms.

It would appear that our representatives' over-riding priority is to eschew any in-depth discussion about Europe. In so doing, they reveal themselves as naught but political eunuchs.

The party name becomes meaningless: they are all under the same orders, to the detriment of the people they pretend to represent.

MM HENDERSON

Endrick Gardens

Balfron, Stirlingshire

Dr DR Cooper (Letters, 10 January) sees the European Union as merely a contractor employed by Westminster. But this prompts the question: On what authority do MPs "contract out" their responsibility for law-making?

Despite the clear ruling of the European Court of Justice in 1962 regarding the permanent limitation of sovereign rights, Dr Cooper remains confident that United Kingdom sovereignty is "intact and unimpaired", and that a simple decision of parliament could terminate our EU "contract".

There is no provision in any of the EU treaties for voluntary withdrawal by a member state. The option only became available under the European Constitution, now withdrawn. However, it is surely significant that a new provision was deemed necessary.

As for Dr Cooper's quoting from the notorious 1975 leaflet, its reference to "the Market", in the light of what we now know, invalidates it as a source for any kind of factual information.

MARY ROLLS

Westerkirk, Langholm

Dumfriesshire

We hear a lot from our politicians about the evils of the European Union's common agriculture policy. But it has ensured a supply of quality food to the British consumer and at a reasonable price. The cost of food today demands a smaller percentage of one's income than at any time in history. Farmgate prices are the same or less now than they were in the early 1980s.

It appears to be the policy of the government to dismantle British agriculture and to depend on imported produce. In 1996, British farmers supplied 84.6 per cent of the beef consumed in Britain; that has dropped to 71 per cent. Pork shows an even greater drop from 71.5 to 54 per cent and lamb from 100 to 84 per cent. If these trends continue, the security of our food supply will most certainly be put at risk.

WG MURRAY

Kirkton, Golspie

Sutherland