SIR – President Obama is worried the UK might leave the EU, as well he might be as it grows ever more likely.

In 1975, the CIA poured big money into the ‘yes’ campaign, which had more than 20 times the amount of the ‘no’ campaign.

The United States believes, rightly, the EU is fundamentally hostile to the US in cultural, economic and foreign policy matters. This is, of course, quite true.

They are, therefore, desperate to have an Anglo-spheric Atlanticist power at the top table to restrain a power block of a centralised statist nature not unakin to the old Soviet model.

As a regular speaker on the East Coast circuit, I am familiar with this Washington-based geo-political outlook. There is no ‘special relationship’ – it died at Yalta. There is a special bond between the military and academic people, but it is personal.

Barbecues on the lawn at the White House are simply to keep prime ministers of smaller countries on side. So let us understand President Obama’s view for what it is – the usual US self interest.

Godfrey Bloom MEP, UKIP MEP for Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire, graduate of the Royal College of Defence Studies (strategy)