WITH no British referendum on the Lisbon Treaty as promised, there are still many people who don’t understand quite what it’s all about.

This treaty takes from us the power of our elected representatives to be able to protect British interests in foreign policy, criminal justice, labour laws, transport, defence, immigration and much else besides.

Any British democratic powers remaining can be swept away without further need of a referendum, as this provision is also included in the treaty.

Under 20 years ago, any measure taken by a previous government could be overturned.

An election manifesto included all the future proposed intentions of the potential new government, thereby linking how we voted with what was to be done.

Successive governments were therefore forced into attempting to please most of the country most of the time and usually the long-term result was a balance of everyone’s interests as one government followed another.

This is what we’ve lost and no major party is interested in how we feel about it, being either dishonourable cowards or traitors.

The UK Independence Party came into existence 16 years ago, following the Maastricht Treaty, to try to prevent this happening.

Don’t despair. Help us fight back.

Charlotte Bull, UK Independence Party, Darlington.