It is clear why Europhiles keep on scaremongering - every day more reasons emerge why Britain should leave the EU as soon as possible.

New figures show that for the second consecutive year our sales to EU countries lagged behind exports to the rest of the world.

I have always pointed out that Britain buys more from the EU than they do from us and figures from the Office for National Statistics show the EU accounted for just 47 per cent of British exports last year, compared to 62 per cent  in 2006.

Official figures include goods shipped via European ports to countries outside the EU; without this so-called 'Rotterdam Effect' distortion they would be even lower.

The gap between EU and non-EU exports has grown from £1.7bn in 2014 to £17bn last year. Every set of trade figures reveal that the EU is declining in importance to our economy and is a failing trading bloc.

Free from the shackles of Brussels we can make our own trade deals, reactivate our seat at the World Trade Organisation and strengthen our ties with our Commonwealth family.

Yours faithfully James Carver, West Midlands MEP and UKIP Commonwealth spokesman