SINCE Chris Davies letter last week “EU: We’re all better off together” we’ve heard respected voices repeating wild claims about our security, prosperity and job losses if we leave the EU.

How can any of this be true?

Our security is totally dependent upon our own defence forces and NATO, as they have been for hundreds of years (+NATO since 1949).

The latest actions, establishing an EU Army are already well under way, which will mean the dissolution of our beloved Regiments, and transferring the Royal Navy to EU command.

Our prosperity is seriously undermined by the cost of EU membership (£58 million per day); by making us wait for international trade agreements, on terms dictated by the EU.

It’s just taken them seven years to conclude one with Canada; by restricting our relationship with the Commonwealth (and harming their trade with us, thereby); by over-burdening all our manufacturing and retail trade with thousands of irrelevant regulations and directives, every year (the latest one on the heat of your kettle is on the way); by the working time directives which have seriously affected the NHS and services we receive.

The job loss argument is complete nonsense.

Not only will we continue to trade with the EU the day after BREXIT in the same way as the day before, because they need our business, more than we need theirs, with 4.5 million jobs in the EU dependent upon the UK (just count the BMWs, Mercedes, Volkswagens, Porches and SEATs on the road. Just count the Bosch and Siemens electrical goods in our homes, to name but a few, plus all the French farming goods, and wines, which we buy) to know how true this is. In any case, the EU would fall foul of World Trade Organisation rules if they tried to penalise the UK.

He imagines Putin would love us to leave the EU, but I’d suggest Putin’s equally happy with the status quo.

The EU hardly distinguished itself in the Balkan conflict 20 years ago.

The idea the EU champions freedom and democracy may be true on paper, but not the reality: look at Greece, or Italy, where democratically elected governments were replaced by EU bureaucrats (we used to call that a dictatorship).

Mr Cameron’s efforts revealed one thing: that the EU is impervious to change, so it’s futile acknowledging its failures and dreaming of changing it from within; in Mr Cameron’s premiership alone the UK has voiced opposition in the EU 72 times, but not once with success.

To safeguard our future and opportunities for the young we must seize the opportunity our elite has grudgingly given us, and regain self-government by voting to Leave on independence day – June 23.

Chris Watkin Cuddington Chairman: UKIP Cheshire West