Julian Cole's column (January 7) about the euro shows how little he knows or understands about the EMU, single currency and our relationship with the EU.

He is obviously blinkered by the propaganda he has read from the Government or the EU, and I am surprised that as a journalist he is not fully aware of the implications of our potentially disastrous involvement in the single currency and its eventual lead to federalism and full political and economic union.

Yes, there may be some advantages for holidaymakers and large multinational companies but these are outweighed by the disadvantages of our loss of sovereignty and ability to control our own interest rates, income tax, defence policy, security and so forth.

I object to his jibes at being a small- minded little Englander - and I think that many people who have longer memories than Mr Cole will recall the sacrifices made by thousands of men and women during two world wars to safeguard the independence and freedom of this country.

I find his remarks offensive and nave, particularly when he accuses euro-sceptics of being an "unattractive bunch, forever boring on about sovereignty and never happier than when belittling foreigners". Euro-sceptics care about their country even if he doesn't, and his column displays an ignorance of the situation which one does not normally expect from a journalist who should be able to appreciate both sides of the argument, and provide a balanced report.

David W Wright,

Little Lane,

Easingwold.

(See under COLUMNISTS for Julian Cole's weekly column.)

...READING about the euro makes me see red.

I certainly don't want it - I definitely don't want to become part of Europe! We are an island race and were never meant to be Europeans. I certainly don't trust any of them, especially with my money.

As for calling it all 'Euroland' - sounds like a second-rate low budget children's film. In fact I think that these over-enthusiastic followers of the euro are either living in Cloud Cuckoo Land or maybe Never Never Land?

By all means, workers supply our goods and expertise to other countries without having to be fastened to them by a single currency.

Don't let us be fooled by thinking that integration and all that entails, means better, prosperous times - that's pie in the sky philosophy and it just wouldn't work.

Barbara Wright,

Manor Road,

Easingwold.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.