22 JULY 2000, Page 26

Wobble-free bridges

From Mr Keith Vaz, MP Sir: Senator Gramm wants to build a bridge between the two greatest trading nations in the world (City and Suburban, 8 July). But for the UK to join Nafta, we would either have to leave the EU or erect new customs barriers to restrict our access to the EU sin- gle market. Bad news for British jobs, and British investment would indeed be fairly `barmy'. I'm all in favour of building bridges, but not the kind that wobble.

Keith Vaz, MP

Minister for Europe, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, London SW1