SIR — Once again, John Gamlin is confusing fact and fiction (Your Letters, April 8). His latest outpourings are still fiction based and a repetition of his previous letter. There is no real evidence to support what he says: for example, “950,000 jobs lost by 2020 etc CBI”. Is this the same CBI which recommended the UK to enter the Eurozone and who are in receipt of EU funding? In brief response to his comments about “blaming the flooding of the Somerset Levels on the EU is stretching it a bit” – clearly Mr Gamlin does not understand that stopping the dredging of the levels for around ten years because of EU Directives clogged up the waterways and brought about a catastrophe instead of a normal flood pattern.

Next up – Mr Gamlin’s list of the Remain Establishment v the Leave Establishment and lowering his argument by his description of “buffoons”. Once again, Mr Gamlin does not understand that this is a contest between the People and the EU elite. Many people have had enough of living under the rule of an unelected elite in Brussels and being on the receiving end of Directives and Regulations over which they have no say. Ask people how they feel about this intrusion into their daily lives and ask how they feel about the huge influx of immigrants which is placing huge pressure on housing, education and the NHS. Some firms in Somerset have a policy of taking on immigrants to the exclusion of local workers. This is a direct result of the 2004 Free Movement Directive.

Now onto Brexit leaflets, full-time Project Leader for Somerset and how somebody is spending an awful lot of money persuading us to leave. Somerset out of the EU is entirely funded by its supporters and as Project Leader, I can assure Mr Gamlin that I do not and would not wish to receive one penny for my services. This is in stark contrast to the £9m propaganda leaflet issued by David Cameron using taxpayers’ money designed to hoodwink people into voting to remain.

I now move to David Shevels’ “pig in a poke letter”: Cameron has already sold the people a pig in a poke by his claims that he has secured a special status in a reformed EU. It includes not joining the euro, keep control of borders, UK will not be part of ever closer union, tough restrictions on welfare payments to new EU migrants and a reduction of red tape. What he has not told you is that none of this has been approved by the EU Parliament.

Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament, bluntly informed Cameron during the negotiations that there was “no guarantee” MEPs would not block it after the referendum. Mr Schulz said the parliament could not be expected to rubber stamp the agreement, even if it is backed by British voters in a referendum. His vice-president echoed his views by commenting that the package had gone “too far” and would not survive being picked to pieces by MEPs in the EU parliament. So, there will be no decision until after the referendum – that’s what I call a “pig in a poke”.

I have to pass comment on Mr Shevels’ rather nasty statement that “we, along with our remaining partners, would put them [another EU country] through the wringer and make sure those deserters paid through the nose for the privilege.” If this is what remainers are like, I cannot wait to leave.

Finally, we have reached a point in 2016 when the British People need to make a simple decision. Do you wish to live in an undemocratic EU, run by 27 unelected commissioners and one President (elected by the parliament but from a list of one), where the UK occupies a position on the fringes ?

Or do you want to regain your sovereignty and live in a democratic, self-governing country where the electorate can sack the government and elect a new one? I do not pretend for one moment that the way ahead will be easy but, as each month and year go by, we will be removing the EU shackles, negotiating our own trade deals, taking back our fisheries, improving the lot of our farmers, controlling immigration, reducing regulation for small and medium businesses and removing any unwanted EU Directives. It will be a challenge, but one which I will relish.

Stephen Fitzgerald,

Project Leader,

Somerset out of the EU.