It is good to see The Argus raising the issue of the euro ("Euro 'punishes trade and jobs'", January 17).

Joining the euro will strengthen the hand of the Blairs and the Berlusconis that want to see a deregulated, "flexible" Europe, weakening and eventually destroying the social Europe that has improved living and working standards for workers and their families.

However, the article did not mention the crucial effect on public services.

Brighton and Hove is already suffering the effects of trying to meet euro targets through the obsession with keeping public borrowing down - hence all the PFI schemes, the refusal to invest in housing unless it is somehow off the balance sheet, the crisis in so many essential public services and the bills stacking up for future generations.

Joining the single currency on current terms dictated by the Growth and Stability Pact will have a potentially disastrous effect on the public services Unison members provide.

The strict spending limits the pact imposes would mean potential cuts of £10 billion - the National Institute for Economic and Social Research put it even higher at £22 billion.

The EU trade commissioner, Pascal Lamy, with the shameful backing of the UK, is also busy promoting the free market in trade in services (GATS), which could see the privatisation of public services and attacks on worker and environmental regulation decided by a bunch of trade lawyers in Geneva.

Thankfully, joining the euro would be about the only thing that might breathe life into the corpse of the Tory party - and Gordon Brown will not let that happen.

Another kind of Europe is possible and it is good to see The Argus keeping the issue in the spotlight.

-Steve Foster, Brighton and Hove Unison