Letter: Dumb EMU debate?

Sir: Anne McElvoy accuses our party of "dumbing down" the debate on EMU ("The leaders of Western Europe fiddle while the continent burns", 26 May) because we parodied in our election broadcast the xenophobia of important elements of the Conservative Party, on whom William Hague relies for support.

In the paragraph preceding this criticism, however, she speaks of colleagues of Mr Hague who regarded "the very act of talking to a foreigner" as suspicious. Is she not making our case for us?

When we launched our election campaign, we produced a manifesto containing a detailed analysis of our reasons for wishing to join the euro. I am not aware of any newspaper that has reported these arguments.

Our party political broadcast, on the other hand, has been widely discussed.

Is it we or the mass media who are responsible for the dumbing down of debate on EMU?

BRENDAN DONNELLY MEP

(Sussex South and Crawley)

Pro Euro Conservative Party

London N2