THE article by Peter Peacock is a timely reminder of what the EU is about and that the trading agreement is only a part of the whole ("Inside Track:

Creation of EU must stand as a great achievement", The Herald, November 19)

Successive British Governments have portrayed the EU as a "free trade" area and tried to restrict influence in other areas by refusing to accept what it is about. British attitudes as projected by Ukip and the Conservatives have not changed much over the years and were well understood by the French president at the time when "le Grand Charles" blocked the original British application to join the then EEC.

The basic attitude is and always has been to take umbrage when the other members do not do as Britain wants, rather than be part of a consensus to achieve common goals. Persistent attempts to downgrade the organisation to a mere trading bloc or pick and chose only those parts of agreements that are favourable to perceived British interests have not always met with success. These ways of dealing with the organisation have eroded goodwill towards Britain to such a level that many other members are now prepared to accept Britain's departure rather than suffer the discomfort of our continuing membership.

Drew Reid,

31, Bruce Crescent, Carronshore, Falkirk.