Letter: Socket to us

RATHER than another 'battle for Britain' ('Plugged in to a victory for Britain', 5 June), the Great British Plug surely provides us with an opportunity to demonstrate that we are good Europeans without the nationwide cost of replacing all our electric wiring. The advantage of a local fuse, which the chunky square-pin plug provides, can be reasonably maintained by the fuse being in the socket instead.

Fused socket outlets for fitting the standard British ring-main supply system were available in the 1960s and they took small 2amp plugs. It should be possible to revive these, redesigned, to take the more compact European plugs, while keeping our fuses and ring-mains. By now we should be looking to gain the advantages of our European membership.

Richard Grant

London NW3