IN RECENT days we have had two ladies letters published in the Echo extolling the virtues of leaving Europe. The latest letter advised the youngsters to "listen" to us oldies while claiming how good it used to be prior to us joining Europe. Strangely I never lived in the land these contributors claimed to have lived in so I must assume these ladies would have been "well heeled" in those days. So let me give you my version of what life was like for me and my kind.

Straight after WW11 our debt to GDP was 238%, this country was virtually bankrupt and our friendly allies the USA charged us highly for lend lease. However, in 1948 the NHS came into being, we built new schools, new hospitals, opened libraries instead of closing them and laid the foundations to the Welfare State, all this in the days when we were in financial ruin. While the rest of Europe were rebuilding with the latest equipment our industrialists decide to invest in overtime as it was a much cheaper and more flexible than investing in machinery. This, of course, meant that our workforce could work longer hours and much harder with antiquated equipment and never be able to compete with our European neighbours.

The Government of Margaret Thatcher, who favoured indirect taxation, reduced personal income tax rates during the 1980s. In the first budget after her election victory in 1979, the top rate was reduced from 83% to 60% and the basic rate from 33% to 30%. The basic rate was also cut for three successive budgets – to 29% in the 1986 budget, 27% in 1987 and to 25% in 1988. The top rate of income tax was cut to 40% in the 1988 budget. The investment income surcharge was abolished in 1985. Here you will note that the bottom of the table and therefore the "working classes" had their income tax reduced over a number of years by a measly 8% while those at the top enjoyed a whopping reduction of 43%. This in the "Land Fit For Heroes".

It is now forgotten that in those days the majority of working class in this country lived in council estates and it was very unusual for working class to own their own homes. The sale of council houses was introduced by Margaret Thatcher and the difference this made to house prices can never be underestimated. At that time I was working in the John Lang precast concrete factory in Andover and had inquired about buying our council house when Ronan Point in London had a gas explosion and the side of a flat blew out, putting an end to precast buildings. In 1972 I got a job in Southampton and reapplied to buy our property and discovered the price had risen 100% in 12 months but I still decided to buy. So I have little doubt that there is a link between the sale of council houses and the current high cost of housing.

In 1973 although by then Britain was spoken of as "The Sick Man of Europe" we were allowed to join the EEC By some strange coincidence we were allowed opt-outs and the most damaging choice to this country was our failure to adopt the Social Chapter. This gave us the poorest labour laws in Europe making us the cheapest and easiest to get rid of and the poorest redundancy payments. This in my opinion has cost us so many manufacturing jobs that once were found in the Southampton and Eastleigh area. By 1992 we were still struggling and on the 16th September that year, commonly remembered as "Black Wednesday" we hit the buffers under a government run by John Major and his Chancellor Norman Lamont. That was the day interest hit double figures of 12% and the cost of mortgages hit the roof, leaving many in negative equity. On joining the EEC we dumped all our trading partners Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Argentina. I know if I were a member of any of those countries I would be salivating at the chance to get my own back when the UK come pleading.

However, although we had ten years of a Labour government we have now become one of the top six wealthiest countries in the world and have had to endure 10 years of austerity under the Tory/Lib Dem alliance and recently under Mrs May. Even Tory controlled councils are suffering from cuts imposed by their own government. Today I read the our HCC, which is Tory controlled, want us to pay a £1 per trip for waste disposal. What do we pay our rates for? The vote to leave Europe were cast on a bed of lies and misinformation by our politicians and neither side told the truth. This was simply because both sides believed the vote would be for staying in and not a single politician made the slightest attempt at planning our future after a vote to leave. As this country has got richer, the gains have been funnelled in the one narrow direction to the few that Parliament truly represent and too many have been left to rot with little to see in the way of a future. It was a protest vote pure and simple as a result of our country's mismanagement. After Brexit the government will be in a situation where they will be able to pick and choose what they do to our already miserly labour laws and it will be from the middle classes down who will suffer.

I have known hard times and after leaving the army in 1965 struggled to make a living until I moved to this area and finally got a decent wage thanks to the Trade Union movement. The only advice I would give the young is that if you think leaving Europe will benefit you, start seriously examining how this will come about. Leaving Europe will be the means by which the few will solidify their hold over the many. However, I doubt it will have too much effect on me. I will never return to those days as I am far too old, but to younger voters I say, be careful what you ask for, you just might get it.

John Burke

Boyatt Wood