SIR – Do many people realise that only those over 60 years of age today have ever had any vote on the European Union or Common Market, as was called in the 1970s.

Although we are constantly told we live in a Parliamentary Democracy by all three main political parties of the UK, it seems strange that in spite of participating in numerous General Elections etc, over the last 40 years we are denied any vote on the EU, which now, by extensive political and financial integration, makes most of the laws affecting our daily lives and swallows up millions of our taxes every day.

Now aged 68 myself, I cannot remember accurately what the referendum allowed by the then PM, the late Ted Heath, was about, other than free trade and relaxation of customs controls at borders etc, but there was never anything about the political interference we endure now, disguised always as economic necessity.

Scaremongering about millions of jobs dependant on our continued EU membership is nonsense, as the UK could still be a trading partner of Europe via the EEA (European Economic Area) or EFTA (European Free Trade Area) like Norway or Switzerland, who do very well out of it.

D S Boyes, Rodley Lane, Leeds