JOHN Morgan in his letter of (Ludlow Advertiser, February 25), is right to point out the need to have an open debate about the forthcoming EU referendum. 
So far the Government is keeping quiet about some of the serious problems the EU has with bribery and corruption involving almost all member countries. 
In 1994, the entire EU Commission was brought down as a result of bad management, bad accounting, nepotism and fraud. 
In 2002, Marta Andreasen was employed as chief accountant; she found the system was still open to fraud. She claimed she was ignored by the Commission, and as a result she reported her findings to MEPs. She was suspended as a whistle blower and later sacked. 
Nothing has changed since then as shown in a report published by home affairs commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem in 2014. She reported that the cost to the EU as a result of corruption was £99 billion annually. VAT fraud was costing almost a further £4 billion. Europol has reported there are over 3000 organised crime groups with sophisticated networks across the EU. More than half of all companies surveyed reported corruption in 56 percent managed by national authorities and 60 percent by local authorities. The UK came out as the best in the survey with only one percent of those surveyed stating bribery had been attempted.
Our membership costs the UK taxpayer in excess of £17 billion of which about £6 billion is returned in, I believe, the form of grants. If we leave the EU, our Government will have the ability to distribute the £17 billion as they see fit. More money for the NHS, education, defence, care of the elderly, farming, the steel industry and others.
Our security is with NATO, of which 21 other EU countries are also members, this will not change.
As a member of the World Trade Organisation, no other member can make a worse trading agreement than they already have with other member countries.
ALEC WALL
Oak Bridge Court
Tenbury Wells