LETTER : Britain's role in world politics

Sir: Hamish McRae ("Why Britain would fare better on the fringe", 12 April) wishes for a looser association with the EU. Perhaps, in economic terms, he is right. He cites Austria, Sweden and Switzerland as able to maintain a high living standard under such circumstances. He does not mention that these countries enjoy one advantage that our politicians of both major parties have ignored for the past half century. They do not attempt to act as world powers.

If we do follow the path advocated by Mr McRae, we should renounce all efforts to play any major role in world politics, and become professional neutrals, like them.

Failing that, there are two long-term courses open to us: to help build a new kind of Europe or to become another state of the American Union.

James Day

Cambridge