IF WE have to wait until 2017 for a referendum on EU membership, I fear it will be too late if we don’t close our borders now and hold a referendum immediately. This country is in a state of crisis and we go blindly on with our heads in the sand.

I am all in favour of what was the EC (Economic Community) as it was when Ted Heath signed us up for it, with co-operation on trade amongst equals; but not for the present European Union that it is now a political structure and failing.

It was bad enough under Labour with Blair and Brown allowing at least three million people (that’s five cities the size of Leeds) to flood in from all over the world without any checks on qualifications, health, language and family size. Now we have at least another million (who knows what the reality is) from EU countries. And we wonder why our hospitals, doctors surgeries and schools are collapsing?

This government pretends to be tough on migrants but two years ago one family arrived from Romania with 15 children and they receive £55,200 a year. The BBC showed a report recently from a London school whose pupils speak 42 languages. This situation is irresponsible madness.

Keith Massey Acaster Malbis, York.