THE whole idea of a single currency was fine if we did not make it so complicated – all that we really wanted was to be able to use the same coinage and notes in any member country.

The same size, weight, etc, but one with one side showing the Euro logo and, on the reverse, the country of origin.

Every country to maintain its own central banking system so that one bank cannot pull down another.

The Euro would have different values in each country but that would not matter too much because the vendor would simply get the amount being purchased at the cost within that country, not from where they come.

That would lead to competition between countries to manufacture and produce goods which are value for money.

Also it would make it a lot easier for firms to set up anywhere in the EU knowing they can easily sell to 27 members, if they all had the single currency.

But no, those in power had to make it all too confusing, hence the mess we are now in.

The EU should have a joint defence policy. Environmental issues have to be shared, and health providers.

At the same time, each country would keep their sovereignty, national flags and so on. They also have their own tax system. However, some politicians spend too much time in scaremongering in the game of point scoring because of a lot of them don’t understand business or economics.

David Cameron and Nick Clegg, indeed Ed Miliband, all agree the EU is essential to us in the UK; we cannot stand alone. But we do need to make it work properly.

And stop saying “look at Greece” and the other eurozone countries when we here are in a far worse situation.

If we had joined the euro, we would be bailed out. Or possibly not have got to this situation in the first place.

RICHARD GRANT, Bisterne Close, Burley