Letter: No future for an EU a la carte

Sir: Andrew Marr's perceptive analysis of the internal Tory divisions about Britain's role in Europe ('The divided Tories: a split is plausible', 29 April) highlights a matter of momentous importance to the future of our country.

There is little doubt that most of our European Union partners want it to advance towards a genuine federation. A multi-speed Europe advancing to this common goal is already envisaged within the Maastricht Treaty's progress towards economic and monetary union. Such an option may well be extended to other areas as the EU is enlarged to include some of the East European applicants, who would need long transitional arrangements after entry to enable them to catch up economically with the rest.

A Europe of variable geometry in which individual countries could pick and choose the policies they wish to adopt on an a la carte basis will never be acceptable to our partners. So the choice for Britain will be either to stay in and accept the almost inevitable progress to a federation or plan for total withdrawal. Our best option then might be to join the European Economic Area just at the time when most of its present members, dissatisfied with their second-class status, wish to become full members of the EU.

Yours faithfully,

ERNEST WISTRICH

London, NW3