I WOULD ask people who are thinking about voting to leave the EU to consider this before making their decision.

Military insiders reckon we’ve lost a third of our capabilities in the last five years. We have built two new aircraft carriers that for two years will have no planes on them. As of the end of this year our army will fit in Wembley stadium. This is a scandal in itself given the threats we face from Syria, and Russia to name but a few.

Putin’s invasions of other sovereign nations and our lacklustre response are far too reminiscent of the Nazis before the war. I agree with NATO, the USA, GCHQ, and 13 of Britain’s most senior former military commanders who have written to the Daily Telegraph warning that Britain must stay in the EU. This Russian threat is why the massive NATO exercise BALTOPS took place in the Baltic sea last year.

It’s a sad state of affairs but Britain cannot right now respond in any meaningful military way to these threats. Will the UK have to conscript the young to fill the gap if we need to respond to Russia once the EU has fallen apart after our exit? (80 per cent of whom want to stay in Europe) If we do they will come from all parts of Britain including Andover.

Some may mock my analysis of the situation, but mark my words if we vote to leave, Putin will exploit every inch of the lack of solidarity within Europe, the eastern states of Europe, and the Baltic states will be the first to go, and they remember only too well what Russian occupation can mean which is why they are very scared indeed of a British Exit from the EU.

Despite its failings, of which there are many, the EU is our last and best hope for peace.

United we stand, divided we fall!

Richard Rowles, Wherwell