To M.J. of Truro,
You may be right that the rest of Europe does not want us and the sub-literate diatribe against Britain by the frog Rafale Thomas gives credence to that, however you both miss the
point.

Europe would maybe happier without us but they do want and
desperately need our money. At present there are only two
major net contributors to the EU budget, the Brits and the Krauts. Also a net contributor, to a lesser extent are the Dutch.

Without the British contribution theCAP(isn`t there an R missing somewhere in that acronym) which consumes 40% of
the EU budget could not be sustained. I don`t think the Germans could or would shoulder the whole burden.

This would have serious implications for France. At present
largely due to CAP subsidies, France`s contributions paid and
subsidies received are in balance. In effect zero contribution.
In other words a sponger. If the CAP collapsed, it would have a
devastating effect on the French economy. Think about that .

Denver Watt, Osaka,

Seem's a shame , the Scot's have campaigned to be a nation again for over three hundred year's and just as they acheive their goal ,they go and get swallowed up by the bureaucratic combine that is Europe. Now I know the Scottish people will not stand for that , so all is not lost yet and hopefully England will get their long overdue divorce from her partners .Shall we just be polite and cite irreconcilable difference's.No need to drag up ancient history .With luck England can say farewell to the other home nation's and Europe all in one go.

Nick Dixon, Sutton Coldfield, England

There's no-one under the age of 50 who has been allowed to cast a vote on our relationship with Europe.

No referendum on Maastricht was a disgrace.

The sting in the 1973/5 agreement was the common fisheries policy. Look what's happened to our fish stocks and fishing industry.

The sting in this one is common energy policy: majority European voting over North Sea Oil. An energy crunch is coming. Quite apart from the death of democracy, the death of British independence, you'll feel the loss of control over oil on every cold winter night.

GIVE US A REFERENDUM.

Andrew Forbes, Thames Ditton, England

mr mogg . breach of contract,honesty along with ethics and morality. how can such words be used when speaking about politicians and government. people in the u.k. seem to have accepted all the garbage verbalised by political parties and accepted it. may i suggest that what is required are a few demonistration of the more "active type". peaceful demonistration dont seem to work .

stephen baron, leith, tasmania

The EU reform treaty/constitution/call it what you like is hardly a question of 'national survival' (think France will be any less French in future? or Ireland Irish? etc...). Clearly, however, you Brits simply don't want to be a part of the European political project. Fine - then get out of the EU entirely and join Norway and Switzerland on the sidelines. You'd be happier, the rest of Europe likewise. To my knowledge, of course, the only major party offering anything like a referendum on the EU is the Lib Dems. Go figure.

As for the British obsession with retaining sovereignty over foreign and defence policy - hadn't you better get that back from the Americans first (before worrying about Brussels)?

M J, Truro, Cornwall,

We now hear the common EU tactic of suffocate all debate in mountains of bureaucratic detail and make Westminster MPs waste time on minutiae, ignoring the fundamental questions at stake. It is a disgrace to any 'democratic' nation that this utterly false imitation of 'debate' is allowed to stifle promised discussion of the major points of transfer of powers, great and small, and the justiciability of the red herring lines.
Hear this O Labour apparachik MPs: you sit in the Commons on the basis of your manifesto promises, and on this particular issue it was crystal clear. You have no valid mandate to deny the people a referendum, and to use the Commons as a Pantomime means you are further debasing and abusing historic democratic processes for your own miserable Party gain only.
Shame on the lot of you - this transcends party politics, and should be a wholly free vote. It is about the system of which MPs are supposed to be trustees.
Stinking fish indeed.

Tim, Oxford, Uk

I think as anyone who has watched and listened to Mr. Brown that he is not concerned about the general long term welfare of the British people, if not then it should be safe to say that he the prime minister Mr. Brown would have nothing to fear in the way of a backlash from the British people should he think that what he has done was in our best interest.

Should the contrary be then found out to be fact that he did not act entirely in our best interest I think that He should resign, one should not forget that when one makes a promise by giving one’s word then one should stand by that, if Mr. Brown goes back on what he has promised he would loose credibility in my eyes at least, I could not trust him to be honest with my vote.

gary, London,

If Britain doesn't want the EU to become more efficient, it could simply go and let other countries to work together. Other europeans would not try to stop Britain. British economy would probably know a recession, but if Britons don't want EU, certainly Europe doesn't need Britain. Britons could stay alone, isolated on their island and let
Other european citizens are fed up with an unefficient Europe that cannot reform because one or two countries don't want.

Ratel Thomas, Brittany, France

Max, your 'tax money' don't make me laugh.

James McKenzie, Lossiemouth, Moray

please alex call a referendem and do the whole country a favour and as a scotsman put right what the other scotsman is doing wrong

gerry, london, England