Dear Sir,
John D. Clare does not believe that the Labour Government wrecked the economy and blames the banks.  Incredible!
Even more incredible is his hypothesis:  Labour did not wreck the economy (the banks did). Therefore the Coalition has loads of money to throw at the poor North East.
There is no money Mr. Clare and we cannot risk borrowing more, hence the cut-backs in the non-wealth-creating areas of the economy.
I would remind Mr. Clare that when New Labour deposed the previous Conservative Government they kept to the Conservative spending plans for their first two years in office.  Conservatives demonstrated they could manage the economy then. They must be a better bet than New labour to repair the economy now.
After 13 years of New Labour nonfeasance, misfeasance and perhaps, malfeasance (selling our gold reserves at the bottom of the market?) the country is bankrupt. Our credit card is maxed-out (an expression the electorate understand too well after 13 years of Labour).  Ex-ministers have apologized. However, one ex-minister thought it funny to tell his successor that the money was all spent.
New Labour saying sorry for ruining the economy and for allowing unbridled immigration from Europe cuts no ice with me. This is especially the case, when their die-hard supporters don’t believe they have anything to apologize for.
I find it very difficult to understand how an apparently well – educated man can encourage young and old to join New Labour and waste his time campaigning on their behalf.  The facts speak for themselves.  New Labour was not fit for purpose then (an expression used by a New Labour Minister to describe his Department) and there is no reason to expect that it ever will be.
J.D. Clare needs to realise that the only money a government has to spend is raised by tax or borrowed. We have been taxed to the hilt by the Labour government that squandered it, not on wealth creating jobs, but on subsidised ‘jobs for the boys’ in the bloated Public Sector. Hence the need to now cut back a public sector THAT WE CAN NO LONGER AFFORD.
It would appear that J. D. Clare thinks that as a Town Councillor he needs to monitor the wider issues. How about Global Warming?
The Carbon Tax that New Labour agreed with the ‘Evil Empire’ (the EEC) has led to our jobs being exported to countries which do not have to levy taxes on their pollution. (Alcan in Cumbria is a case in point).  Indeed, we are only continuing with steel making in the North East because the local plant, that is subject to Carbon Tax and therefore uneconomic, has been bought by a company that can avoid paying the Carbon Tax elsewhere and can therefore subsidise the steel made here.
In signing up to the Global Warming farce, the Labour Government set up a system of subsidies for so called ‘green energy’.  Unwanted wind farms to you and me.  Unfortunately, this was their grand plan for creating jobs in the North East.  I say, unfortunately, because, again, we cannot afford the subsidy; the wind farms are too expensive, it is doubtful if they are ‘green’ and we will be paying for them in our utility bills for the rest of most of our lives.
On a local matter; my bin stinks!   The Coalition Government has offered subsidies to councils that continued with weekly collections. Our County Council, in their New Labour wisdom, decided to change to fortnightly collections. This to me is a case of, “cutting off your nose to spite your face”.  Does J.D. Clare support Durham County Council in refusing Government subsidy?  Or should I just cut off my nose so as not to smell the mess left by his favourite political party.?
Alastair P.G. Welsh