YP Letters: Many reasons to be grateful for our membership of the EU

AREN’T we all getting fed up with the politicians and their claims, counter-claims and point scoring? No explanations for us which tell us really what we stand to lose or gain after June 23.

We all like to have food at reasonable prices and in the EU we can enjoy fruit and vegetables from Spain, French wine or Danish bacon and it won’t cost us a fortune. Without the EU, we wouldn’t have had Aldi or Lidl!

During my working life, I was glad to know that my working rights were protected by the EU and couldn’t be eroded by our Government.

Now I am retired, I could go and live in a warmer country in the EU and have no problems accessing my pension and receiving health care thanks to reciprocal arrangements within the EU.

If I am ill or injured while on holiday in EU, I’ll get medical treatment. I can use my mobile phone in Europe and pay no more than I do here, thanks to recent EU legislation.

Unfortunately all the uncertainty about our future has caused the fall in value of the pound against the euro and the dollar. Holidays in Europe will be more expensive but if you choose to holiday in the UK you will be guaranteed a clean beach thanks to the EU.

The existence of the EU has given us 70 years of peace in Europe after centuries of devastating wars. I hope this means my grandson won’t die in a European war. It’s the future of my grandchildren that concerns me.

Currently they are free to travel wherever they like in the EU. They can go and work anywhere they like in the EU and they can study for free at European universities and not saddle themselves with enormous debt.

Generous funding to business from the EU has made it easier for young people to obtain apprenticeships. We are lucky in Yorkshire and Humberside that three of our MEPs have excellent voting records and a real commitment to looking after our interests at Brussels. What’s not to like? It’s a no-brainer for me: In is the only answer.

From: Nick Martinek, Briarlyn Road, Huddersfield.

Given that BBC Radio 4 news led with the statement by the Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, that Brexit is “the biggest domestic risk”, instead of his assurance that the BoE would not take sides in the EU debate, should the BBC be sold off? And, if not, will Mr Carney now “voluntarily” step down as BCC head John Longworth has done?