Now we have seen further increases in Taxes and Community Charges, well above the rate of inflation, the explanations, and budget details, do not tell the whole story.

Your local authority is using some of your Tax and Community Charge money to finance the "West Midlands Regional Assembly" part of the European Union of the Regions.

The "West Midlands Regional Assembly" already exists and has 132 members as at March 2003, plus a number of advisers.

None of these people are elected but are appointed, and paid for, by your Local Authority.

There are 11 Regional Assemblies already in existence in England.

That means that 1,287 more bureaucrats are added to the 87 MEPs and two commissioners on board the gravy train.

Most people are unaware of the existence of these Regional Assemblies or exactly what their purpose is.

These assemblies are there to eventually replace your Local Authorities and become our unelected Regional Government.

They will be responsible to, and take their orders from, Brussels where they will also have their Embassies, totally by-passing our elected Government in Westminster.

A prelude to the end of the United Kingdom as we know it!

Currently we are all distracted by the war in Iraq.

However, it is interesting to note, that had we been fully integrated into the EU, or just in the Euro, Mr Blair would not have been able to go to war without EU permission, as all our assets will be held in Frankfurt, and our orders would then come from the French/German-dominated EU.

After the French and German vetoes, we all now know exactly what that would mean.

None of the countries in the EU have ever proved to be our friends, at any time, on the contrary.

However, we do have proven friends throughout the world, particularly the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Poland.

Our trade with the world continues to go up, so let us stay an "independent" nation, and improve our lot by not joining further with the EU.

Stanley D. Parr, Paddock Close, Pershore.