At the Labour Party Conference there was an elephant in the venue and nobody dared to mention it. It was the European Union's Maastricht Treaty, which says that no EU country may borrow more than 3 per cent of GDP under EU Economic and Monetary policy.

So, no matter the merits or demerits of PFI, the only trick available to a British chancellor is to use PFI to borrow the money from the moneylenders via private sector companies.

Tony Blair wants us in the euro, yet dared not even mention the real reason why PFI is so necessary perhaps because it would affect our opinion of the euro.

Joining the euro as part of giving in to the EU's economic and monetary dictatorship would be a disaster for Britain. We must never give up control of our currency and economy, and should revoke the Maastricht Treaty.

Following the EU's destruction of our fishing industry, its disastrous Common Agricultural Policy and the destruction of British manufacturing jobs by dictatorial bureaucracy, is it any wonder that people are ready to back out of this crackpot EU centralised dictatorship.

Alan Wood

Fittleton

Salisbury