Dear Sir,
I must reply to Cllr Eddy Adam’s disgraceful attack on myself in the Newton News. This kind of personal  attack is simply the way that the Labour Party members are trying to victimise and bully at any given opportunity. Thankfully due to the frequency of this  type of personal attacks it is becoming easier for people to see this is the case.
All of the facts in my letter of 13th February were obtained directly from Durham County Council Staff and have been confirmed by them to be fact! Cllr Adams attack on my letter for being inaccurate and rambling is simply not  true and displays a problem systematic within the Labour party and politics in general. It seeks to rubbish and tarnish my reputation personally rather than deal with the actual content of the letter and the issues raised.
In response I will simply say the following –
1. I will not and never have turned my back on Newton Aycliffe – I have served my community in good faith and with my sole aim being the improvement and betterment of the facilities and services available to those that live in my ward and Newton Aycliffe as a whole.  As for requesting my resignation – I find this utterly ridiculous and can assure him that this will never happen as I take my responsibility to those that elected me very seriously.
2. As for me contacting Livin about Silverdale House – I have and  requested the property be returned to four houses numbered 8 to 11 as the ward are desperate for homes.
3. In respect to my lack of achievement whilst being a DCC member I say this – Cllr Adam won’t achieve in four years what I accomplished in one. Only time will tell but following his attack I will be paying attention to his claims to see if he delivers on his promises.
He made a number of promises in his election leaflet for May 2013, but has forgotten them and it would appear the general public have done more to fulfil his promises that he himself. Perhaps this is due to a general lack of time devoted to his role as I note that he has three roles in addition to being a DCC councillor. Perhaps his lack of time and dedication to this particular role has contributed to him not fulfilling his election promises?
In respect to Cllr Adams enquiry about my allegiance to UKIP I wish to put the record straight – I remain an Independent and have dispensed my duties in accordance with my election with honesty and dedication to the role I have taken on across the last 25 years, I will not stoop to personally attacking or degrading any individual, but feel that I am entitled to respond with facts to the type of bullying and personal attacks that Cllr Adam has levelled at myself.
In respect to his issue of me attending the UKIP public meetings as an interested party – I am entitled to do this as a member of the public and consider it due diligence to understand the policies of all parties within the political arena. I have attended these meeting as a member of the public to enlighten myself on the issues they represent and nothing more – I remain an elected Independent but I am a councillor not afraid to voice his opinion on matters that benefit the residents of my ward and the Town. I will continue to voice my opinion regardless of what the Labour members think!
On the general state of affairs I also think it is time the Labour Party Members stop blaming the current government for the level of cuts to public services and in general for the current state of government in the UK and our Town, as they are simply reacting and fire fighting to put right the state of affairs the Labour Government left behind.
The labour contingent of both the town and Durham County councils are in my opinion trying to brainwash the voters of this town – and have set out to rubbish the reputation of any councillor or member that opposes their views or political opinions. This does little to benefit anyone except that Labour party and detracts from the actual reason we are elected, as the actual issues become secondary to the propaganda and policies that the Labour party wish to push through.
As far as resigning that  will NEVER HAPPEN! I was elected as an independent councillor and have a 100% attendance record for many years – for those wishing to question my dedication to my position I would encourage them to look at the attendance records for the Labour members on the town council and compare those against my own. It is hard to represent your ward and deliver positive and viable input unless you are actually at the meetings! There are three councillors in the West Ward that attend very few meetings, one of these even works abroad? When the attendance figures are published in May readers will see this as fact!
Alderman George Gray
Cllr West Ward