'OUTSIDERS'

DOWN the road in Sedgefield, the British National Party recently gained far too many votes in the Parliamentary by-election for my liking. I find their politics vile and disgusting.

Politicians in Durham City should be doing everything they can to stop their racist views becoming acceptable in Durham.

Instead, Councillor Carol Woods, of the Liberal Democrats, has put out a leaflet with worrying remarks about "outsiders". At the very least that is a bad choice of words, at worst it will fuel racism in the city, which we have resisted thus far so well.

She should apologise immediately and Durham City Council should distance itself from her remarks to make clear it does not support her views and, in fact, welcomes all those who come to live here and contribute to our communities. - Councillor Peter Mitchell, deputy leader, Durham City Council Labour group.

NO PARACHUTE

I WISH to refute allegations made in a Liberal Democrat leaflet that our MP, Roberta Blackman-Woods, was "parachuted" into her seat by "the London Labour Party".

In 2003, she entered a three-month selection process, alongside a dozen other applicants, and won an overwhelming majority of the votes of the Durham Constituency Labour Party (CLP) members.

She was an active member of the CLP and, prior to her election as MP, was chairwoman of the constituency party.

It is shameful that the Lib Dems resort to personal abuse rather than using political argument. - Patricia Johnston, chairwoman, City of Durham Constituency Labour Party.