Somewhat disingenuously, Giles Goodall (Letters, May 25) states that Britain would still have to donate billions of pounds to the EU and to obey its directives even if we left.

After all Norway (not a member) is forced to do that to avoid swingeing tarriffs being raised against her export goods.

But Norway, which enjoys a trading surplus with the EU, is not Britain. Thanks to rules favouring French and German industry, we now export a mere one-sixth to the other member states of what we import from them.

Would the commission really threaten us with a punitive tarriff unless we carried on coughing up the loot and toeing the line? After all, our retaliatory tarriff would hurt the EU six times as much.

It could cripple the economy of the continent.

Neil Kinnock knows this, which is why he has promised us a genuine free trade treaty should we ever leave. No more billions to pay, no more enterprise-crushing diktat and no little surcharges at Calais or Dover. The kind of treaty that we thought Edward Heath had signed us up to in 1972.

I am surprised Mr Goodall, a former employee of the European Commission, seems not be be aware of this pledge.

On leaving the EU who would be the losers? Some manufacturers would miss the repressive effect of unnecessary regulation on their smaller competitors, who will flourish.

Many jobsworths would have to seek alternative employment, perhaps as fishermen. And Germany would end up financing the Common Agricultural Policy while our farming sector recovered from it.

Being at the feet of Europe is not an option. We should leave.

Ian Hills

-Blackman Street, Brighton