Peter Watson from UKIP raises some important points about loss of control to Brussels, but UKIP would willingly cede British sovereignty to the US and the undemocratic World Trade Organisation (WDP letters 1/07/04). They are in favour of a stronger WTO, economic globalisation and have even suggested joining NAFTA, a draconian trade agreement. The US-dominated WTO believes free trade is more important than environmental regulation and have forced us to accept dairy products with growth hormones and are now trying to force GM on us.

Is this really what people wanted when they voted for UKIP? I think not. Certainly people are disillusioned and fed up with the EU, but the way forward must be reform rather than Kilroy-Silk's plans to "wreck" it and support something even less democratic.

Greens in Europe are working for reform: an EU that has more local democracy, supports local businesses and nurtures domestic economies. This means recognising the EU for the useful tool for progress that it could become, but not having a single currency or the proposed EU constitution or ever more centralisation.

More Greens have signed a pledge to increase accountability of MEPs and end the EU gravy train, than members of all the other UK parties put together. No UKIP members have signed the pledge. It was a great shame that the recent elections coverage did not look more closely at some of these issues. Perhaps if they had done there would have been a different result.

Councillor Martin Whiteside - Green Party Parliamentary Candidate for Stroud. Hillside, Claypits Lane, Lypiatt, Stroud, Glos. GL6 7LU