I have to be honest Jon, I think we are far too soft. It's criminal that Islamic fundamentalists can preach war on the West and burn the Union Jack under the protection of the law while living in Britain. I would come down hard on people like this. If someone is good enough to let you enter their home in order to help you then you should respect their house rules. If you don't you could hardly complain if they kicked you out. It's the same with countries. Unless the mainstream parties act on the race issue the far-right will pick up votes as sure as day follows night.

In that Australia has it much easier with regards to immigration. They don't have the channel tunnel - a huge problem when it comes to immigration, and it's much easier to smuggle yourself in on a boat to the UK than Australia simply because of the distance. They don't get as many refugees coming in and yes they are tougher on immigration but they aren't bound by EU law - a major sticking point what with us being in the Common Market.

But yep I take your main point, we are too soft on extremism both from Fundementalists and Far-Right groups. Unfortunately if you have free speech you have to put up with the consequences and the post-911 world is very different. Feel sorry for you re. the medical care and I understand as my family was in the same situation but without wishing to turn this into an Iraq debate, things like this could be eased if we weren't spending billions blitzing the middle east.

A point that anti-EU parties on the right will get mileage out of come the time of the EU referendum.

Of course, it's to be expected, but the benefits of being within the EU outweigh the cons and people will just have to realise that. I sometimes think our island race mentality causes us a lot of problems.

It's too late to withdraw totally. We'd find it hard to survive. We need to find a way to accomodate ourselves within the EU that we are happy with. Thus far no one, IMHO, has come up with it.

No-one has, although I reckon the only way we can keep the control that those on the right want is to be at the heart of Europe. That's where we can influence the most change and affect decisions taken. Being on the fringe isn't helping anyone, least of all ourselves.

Not even Blair is talking it up of driving into the heart of Europe. Perhaps what we need is a mainstream political party to take up this position and stridently so. I'm not saying I would necessarily support it but it would offer another pole to the argument. You're right, simply half-heartedly hanging about on the fringes is useless.

knows what he wants but he's too scared to go for it - he knows the public are largely wary of the EU and he doesn't want to go for it. By the way don't be surprised if this Referendum doesn't turn up in the end, I'm not expecting it. It's just a ploy to nullify Howard on Europe.

I think that may be right about Blair being frightened. He may simply be scared of being unpopular. I would respect him as a politician more if he nailed his colours to the mast and tried to sell us a vision. IMHO at some point a politician will have to do just that because withdrawl is impossible now and hanging about reluctantly on the fringes, dipping your toe in one minute and the next taking it out, will do little, especially if other countries motor on.

We've already fallen behind with regards to the Euro - which I'd rather wait and see about for now. On the other hand taking up the Social Chapter and the Convention on Human Rights are two of the best things this country has done for donkeys.