SOMEONE said to me the other day, wouldn’t it be wonderful if the Government gave Oxfordshire County Council £53m to use to repair our roads and if they did a good job within a certain time, give the council a further £23m as a bonus?

Each day the Government could give the same to all local authorities and after a year all our roads could be in an excellent condition throughout Britain.

Ah, but where’s the money going to come from I asked? He replied, the £53m is what we give to the EU every day and the £23m is what the British taxpayer has to cough up each day in addition to the £53m for overseas aid.

That’s £76m a day, or £27bn, £740m a year. In a few years we could pay off our deficit but alas the Government has to get permission from the European Union first and I’m sure the burghers in Brussels would say, go to the Foreign Office or similar.

MICHAEL CLARKE, Lewell Avenue, Old Marston, Oxford