Sir,

I read with interest the letter in the Observer by Mollie Neate that suggested I should go to live in England. I was born in Wales, speak Welsh, married a local girl and hope to spend the rest of my life living in Pembrokeshire.

I was once pressurised very strongly to apply for a prominent position and if elected would be expected to live most of my time in London. I was younger and enthusiastic at the time, but declined the offer, and it would take more than Mollie Neate to get me to change my mind.

I was never convinced that creating the Assembly would be an advantage to Wales and opposed it from day one. I also thought that it was in no one's interest to divide the UK and in doing so reduce the standard of living of the people of Wales. My fear has been proved correct if you look back at the record of our elected representatives in the Assembly since it was created compared to the standard of living enjoyed by all other regions of the UK.

With such a record, why should we vote to give them more power? Why did we have the referendum on March 3 and not on the same day as the other referendum and the election to elect our representative to serve for the next four years? I know the answer - the attendance at the booth would have been higher and the no would have probably won.

My interest in Welsh politics at the moment is to strive to raise the standard of living of the people of Wales which has been in decline over the past 12 years. (Do not take my word for it, look at the records). That is why I voted on March 3. This I would suggest makes me a good Welshman and not an anti Welsh and I believe that it is in the interest of the nation that I should stay.

Sir Eric Howells CBE,

Llanddewi Velfrey.