WITH the news that steel making in Port Talbot is likely to end soon I wonder why we are still being told that it is only by staying in the EU that we can ‘safeguard’ jobs?

We are told ‘three million’ depend on being ‘in’ but this has long since been shown to be a disingenuous claim. The truth is it can be easily demonstrated that by being in the EU is costing jobs.

EU state aid regulations make it illegal for the UK government to help any British industry by grant aid, loan or tax break. Such practices “distort competition in a way that is harmful to citizens and companies in the EU”.

Thus the UK government, of any political flavour, is unable to help while we remain an EU Member.

Furthermore, in 1975 the UK surrendered all rights to stop the ‘dumping’ of cheap products on UK markets, something we could only end by leaving the EU and retaking our seat at the World Trade Organisation. Again, regardless of party in “No. 10”, we could not have prevented the Chinese off-loading their steel onto us under the existing regulations.

Currently three new ships are being built for the Royal Navy and hundreds of new tanks, and other vehicles, for the army. These are being built using foreign, not British, steel because EU procurement regulations mean the MoD are unable to show legally a preference for our own steel.

At a time when British plants are closing, our government is forced by rules made in Brussels to turn its back on our steel producers.

Even worse is yet to come; if we remain “ in”, The EU Energy Directive 2020 will add an additional 40 percent to the cost of electricity as it forces the UK industry towards inefficient, unreliable and very expensive forms of energy.

Outside the EU we could have prevented much of this with short term loans or other temporary assistance to the steel industry and also by removing the high costs of fuel to the industry, making British steel much less expensive on the world markets.

These are all verifiable facts readers need to be aware of when casting their votes in the referendum.

TONY MOLLAND

Former chairman

Devizes Constituency UKIP Association