THE news that the EU summit on the new constitution collapsed was the best Christmas present I could have wished for or it would have locked us into a superstate and taken away all our rights and given unelected bureaucrats control over our lives and rendered all future elections meaningless.

However we should not be complacent as the EU, like Napoleon and Hitler before them, never gave up their grand schemes for total domination.

They will try again to force an undemocratic constitution on 450 million people we can be sure, so it is vital to save our democracy and independence, to write to our MPs to keep up the pressure to demand not ask for a referendum.

Other countries intend to hold referendums, so should we. Five Britishmen were arrested by armed police in Brussels during the summit for putting up posters demanding that we in Britain be allowed to have our say.

They were threatened with deportation or inprisonment without trial.

So much for democracy and free speech and human rights in Europe's brave new world, that outrageous action from Belgian police against five peaceful protesters is yet more evidence that the EU is not to be trusted.

I long for the day when the EU collapses and all nations in Europe can be free once more.

PETER BATES

Toothill