Sir,

I have noted with interest Plaid Cymru Councillor Michael Williams's concern for local farmers in his letter to the Observer last week. It is probably true that if the UK left the EU the farmers would lose their subsidy, but by saving the many millions of pounds we pay to the EU for propping up (by all accounts) the inefficient French farming industry under the Common Agricultural Policy, the UK Government could afford to compensate our own farmers!

However, it seems to me that the main thrust of Clr. Williams's letter was a thinly veiled political attack on our local MP, Simon Hart, and what terrible pronouncement has he made?

Apparently Mr. Hart has given support for the holding of a referendum in 2017 on UK membership of the EU. As far as I am aware, Mr. Hart has not indicated whether he would vote for or against membership. However, Clr. Williams has most definitely stated that we should remain in the EU. This suggests that he is quite happy for us to do as we are told by unelected bureaucrats in Brussels, which means that we have little control of who we allow in and deny us the right to evict those whom we would like to evict.

Now of course Clr. Williams has the right to his opinion, but to suggest by implication we in the common herd lack intelligence to decide for ourselves which way to vote would appear to be insufferably patronising, not to mention undemocratic. I think this is something to bear in mind at the next local elections.

Clifford Hall,

Pentlepoir.