Letter: Major against the Brussels bureaucrats

Sir: Andrew Marr's comments on the Prime Minister's 'new Thatcherite pose' ('But what about Major's self-respect?', 23 March), did not do justice to the Prime Minister. John Major has made very clear in recent speeches his growing disquiet about the increasing number of unnecessary and damaging regulations coming from Brussels. His remarks about 'fighting Britain's corner hard' were in full harmony with his concerns expressed, for example, in his speech on 1 March to the British American Chamber of Commerce in New York:

We have said 'no' firmly and finally to yet more social regulation, and we will go on saying 'no'. It is not just an economic point. I believe it is morally wrong to give more support to people in work when doing so gives people out of work even less chance of getting a job in the future.

Without doubt, the Prime Minister is reflecting broadly-based sentiment in the country. The dangers ahead if we are not able to halt the increasingly strong powers of the EU institutions were vividly illustrated two weeks ago. Under its new powers, given by the Maastricht treaty, the European Parliament voted by a majority of 296 to 21 to annul our opt-out from the EU restrictions on Adolescent Working Hours which had been so painstakingly negotiated by David Hunt, the Employment Secretary.

Yours sincerely,

ANTHONY COWGILL

Director

British Management

Data Foundation

Sheepscombe, Gloucestershire

24 March