Having given Robert Kilroy-Silk two pages last week to promote his East Midlands European election candidacy, I hope you will allow one of his opponents in that election a few paragraphs to point out some of the weaknesses and inconsistencies in what he says.

The so-called UK Independence Party claims to be concerned about independence from Brussels, but it would willingly take orders from the United States and the World Trade Organisation. According to its own website, one of the ten top reasons for leaving the European Union is because of "ongoing EU trade disputes with America, and Brussels' reluctance to accept WTO rulings that don't go in its favour".

One of these trade disputes is the attempt by the United States, through the WTO, to force genetically modified food on unwilling European consumers. Would Mr Kilroy-Silk stand up for our right not to be forced to accept GM food? Does he, in fact, understand the true policies of the party he has so recently and opportunistically joined?

UKIP also dangles the enticing possibility of signing up to the North American Free Trade Agreement. It doesn't mention that NAFTA would allow American firms to sue the British Government for loss of profits if the UK passed public safety laws that, according to NAFTA's peculiar definition of free trade, discriminated against them.

UKIP would in effect turn us into the 51st state of the USA. If people want to express opposition to the single currency and concern about the proposed European constitution, but without going down the extremist UKIP road, they can do so by voting Green.

Mr Kilroy-Silk uses the phrase “Metropolitan politically-correct élite” no fewer than three times on one page. He is of course not politically correct in any sense, but he is certainly part of the Metropolitan élite. As a candidate born and bred in the East Midlands I dislike being patronised in this way by a millionaire who lives in Buckinghamshire and made his fortune working in the London media.

Yours faithfully

Brian Fewster
Green Party European Election candidate for the East Midlands

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Published and promoted by Brian Fewster on behalf of the Green Party and himself as candidate at 89a Winchester Avenue, Leicester LE3 1AY.