LETTER: Beware of false dawns in politics

I READ with astonishment the letter from Kevin Wallace, the Branch UKIP secretary in the Ribble Valley, claiming that UKIP have pushed the Conservatives into third place in the North West, when accurate opinion polls such as YOU GOV (Sunday Times, January 20th) gives UKIP 7%, in a weak fourth place well behind the Conservatives.

When asked who would be best to renegotiate EU membership for Britain, the public supported David Cameron as the best person for this role with twice the support of UKIP leader Nigel Farrage. This week has seen a drop in the support for UKIP as the public realise that being in the Single Market with duty free export of our goods to the 400 million EU market is important for British jobs. This is far different from supporting the United States of Europe with one Currency, one Bank and one Government hoped for by some EU bureaucrats.

In a region like the North West, heavily dependent on manufacturing, leaving the EU will be very damaging for employment. Many of the 5,000 new jobs planned for the Salmesbury Enterprise Zone in the Ribble Valley will come from overseas companies investing in the the Single Market. If we leave the EU where will they go; Poland, Rumania or Hungary?

Mr Wallace should beware of three things; false dawns, putting too much faith in opinion polls and exporting British jobs to mainland Europe.

TERRY HILL,

Vice-Chairman of

Ribble Valley Conservatives