So Ukip was the most successful political party in the recent European elections.

To most of the public that is what was expected and therefore no great surprise.

I don’t usually write political letters – in fact, this is my first – but I now feel worried about the political scene enough to write this.

The public just don’t like the power that Europe appears to have over us by making laws we have to follow whether we like it or not, or even if the Government does.

In my opinion the “great British public” is without any doubt fed up with the unknown numbers of people from other countries coming to ours. It isn’t so much the people, just the unknown numbers of them.

Many years ago we were happy to join Europe for the purposes of stability and peace as well as for trade. Maybe if that was the same now we wouldn’t have as many gripes.

Looking back it appears Europe has tried to swallow up many European countries.

Getting back to Ukip, led by a “sugar sweet-tongued” Nigel Farage, he told everyone that Ukip would come out on top on election day and he was right.

The main political parties now have a huge amount of work to do in order to get the public back on their sides, otherwise they will lose next year’s general election too.

They have to listen to what the public are saying.

They will ignore us at their peril – they have been deaf for far too long. Now it is serious. It will be an utter disaster for them but worse still it could easily be a disaster for us all too.

One word of caution to the Ukip voter: be careful for what you ask – the grass may not be greener on the other side of the fence.

Ukip doesn’t believe this was a protest vote. I do.

Listening to the results coming in from France and Denmark it appears that both countries appeared to vote in a similar way for anti-EU parties. I wonder why...

David Rowland, Harvest Close, Telscombe Cliffs

We're broken and Ukip wants to fix us

I don’t think the European results will come as a great surprise to many people.

The original idea of joining Europe for trade (the common market) has long been overtaken by the idea of a European state run by the Germans and the French dictating to the rest of us what we can and cannot do.

While I am not against people coming to this country to work, we cannot afford to have an open border policy.

This country is broke and will not be fixed until we are allowed to fix it.

And how we want to, and Ukip seem to offer this chance.

Jim Scofield, Busticle Lane, Sompting

Now is the time for a referendum

In 1975 that old political wizard Harold Wilson, Labour Prime Minister, had a referendum on our continued membership of the Common Market. He did this because his own party was hopelessly divided.

He disagreed with his closest political friend Barbara Castle. She wanted us out.

I am 55 now. I was only 16 in 1975. I did not have a vote.

Now let’s have a referendum on the EU in February 2015.

We will know by then if Scotland will be voting with us. The matter will be settled before the general election and the UKIP question would be answered.

The Greens want us to have a referendum now.

There is no case to be made for delaying a referendum until 2017. There is no case to be made for not having a referendum.

And the Lib Dems in this coalition Government must now concede a referendum on Europe after the drubbing they have received in the polls.

Nigel Boddy, former Brighton resident now living in Darlington, Co Durham

I'll vote as long as you listen to us

I have reached the age of 80 years and voted for the first time (in any election) in the European elections last week.

I can just hear politicians saying, “What is the matter with this man? Why has he not exercised his democratic right to vote before?”

Well, in my view democracy is not just about voting for one party or another.

Democracy should be about whichever party is in power listening to what people want and implementing policies to give them what they want.

In my long lifetime of observing politicians, this has never happened.

We want to be listened to.

Samuel Davidson, Cairo Avenue, Peacehaven

No, Europe is not the entire issue

I do not agree with the general analysis of why Ukip won the European elections.

Labour did win various council elections and came second in the Euros, with a top place in the North West, North East and Wales.

They also came top in  Brighton and Hove.

The Tories vanished from Manchester in the council elections, lost support in Wales and barely exist in Scotland.

I can see why the election result was the way it is.

Ukip only picked up 12% extra, but Labour increased 9% and Greens 3% and they have the opposite view on Europe and immigration.

It is the 4% loss to the Tories and 7% loss to Lib Dems which shows it was an anti-Government vote.

The collapse in Lib Dem support was respread to the other parties. Lib dems have always had a lot of young people in support, damaged by tuition fees and now hit on benefits. They are also the main losers in being undercut by more qualified foreign workers accepting wages the young with high rents cannot afford to take.

Pensions are a mess under this lot, too. I left school at 15 and under Labour would retire at 65 – now it is 66 before I get a state pension and that is likely to change again.

Soon bus passes are likely to apply at an older age or be removed altogether.

Polls show Europe does not register with voters as an issue – immigration policy does.

People vote on what has a direct effect on them, which is not the overall economy, Europe or even immigration levels. It is housing, cost of living, rents, benefits, wages, crime and police availability along with fire services and roads, trains and the NHS.

They do not like foreign wars, or stirring them up.

Robert Lambeth, Martin Road, Hove

Thanks for voting

A sincere thank you to those one million Liberal Democrat voters around the country for staying calm and loyal to staying with Europe.

Congratulations to Catherine Bearder, MEP for the South East.

She worked very hard, investing her own time, energy and money into caring for our region.

Worthing has benefited from financial support from Europe and we will need sensible and calm people fighting for us in Worthing, from whichever party we support.

In addition, well done to current mayor, Councillor Bob Smytherman, who held his seat locally and commiserations to our unsuccessful candidates and outgoing councillors.

Councillor Hazel Thorpe, Lib Dem, Worthing and Adur Councils