17/02/05

I do not know Mr Jones, but I would have more respect for an MP who openly criticised councils - as Mr Jones does - than one who says nothing.

I have questioned Labour councillors' decisions here in Middlesbrough and one answer I vividly recall receiving was: "We're not proud of what we've done but we have to put the party first."

I often think that the word conscience does not exist in their vocabulary, yet perhaps it does in the case of Mr Jones. - Joan McTigue, Independent Councillor, Middlesbrough.

I ALSO think Kevan Jones should be out of North Durham. He is never available while Parliament is sitting as he is too busy at Westminster.

At the beginning of November I asked for his opinion on the Pensioners' Manifesto but I have not received a reply.

Now I see he has had time to fly to Rhodes to support a family from Chester-le-Street. I wonder if they would have received such support if the case had been in a local court?

Never mind, perhaps while flying, Mr Jones may have had time to read my letter and the Pensioners' Manifesto, and I can look forward to a reply. - DC Elsom, Annfield Plain.

I AM surprised your correspondent (HAS, Feb 11) did not have the courage to allow his or her name to be printed. Could it be that the complainer, who does not want there to be any criticism of the councils of Durham, Derwentside and Chester-le-Street, is a member of one of these?

We hear so much about failing councils yet here we have a local MP trying to get these to improve. This is to be applauded.

Unfortunately, the dyed-in-the-wool Labour mentality of this area has led to inefficient councils. If no-one is prepared to take them to task this will continue.

I say good for Kevan Jones and long may he continue until we have better services. - Eileen Woods, Sacriston, Durham.

I HAVE never been a member of a political party, but it is your anonymous correspondent, and not Mr Jones, who is being disloyal to the Labour Party.

He is by no means being disloyal by expressing the feelings of his constituents. If Labour councillors listened to the criticisms instead of whinging and whining, then the party could receive more support than it does now.

I believe most of the Labour councils treat the people of this area with contempt and can get away with this because of the strength of the traditional support.

I have never known an MP work as hard for their constituents as Mr Jones does. He has helped the Chester-le-Street family in their battle for justice in the Greek courts, shop workers with his Bill in Parliament, ex-miners with their fight for compensation for industrial diseases and spoken out about the lack of beds at the University Hospital of North Durham.

If he had not expressed the fears of the residents about the slow pace of redevelopment in Stanley, I am convinced nothing whatsoever would have been done by either the district or county councils.

The Labour Party needs more members like Kevan Jones, people who are prepared to recognise failings where they exist and try to put things right. - Tom Pattinson, Stanley.

I WOULD have had more respect for your correspondent if he/she had supplied their name and address (HAS, Feb 11).

Can I point out that my job as Member of Parliament is to stand up for my constituents if they are receiving poor or sub-standard service from any public body, including local councils. I do not feel it is my job to make excuses for these public bodies.

Rest assured I will continue to keep pressing in the best interests of my constituents. - Kevan Jones MP, House of Commons, London.

WATERLOO CUP

THE sight of men and women laughing at and enjoying the sight of our native wildlife being torn to pieces at the Waterloo Cup was truly sickening (Echo, Feb 15). There are certain things that are 'givens' and are not a matter of taste, class, or subjective opinion. Cruelty is wrong, it is utterly barbaric and it must not be allowed to proliferate in whatever form - to animals, children or grown men and women. You can be sure if we do, then we will in the end all suffer for it. - A Parkin, Durham.

Darlington FORGE

THERE are some anomalies in the interesting article (Business Echo, Feb 15) regarding The Forge Group.

Darlington Forge did have what is believed to be the largest Steam Hammer in the world, but your photograph depicts No 3 Press which was a 1,500 ton Steam-Hydraulic forging press in No 2 Forging Shop. The other two presses in No 1 Shop were a 2,000 ton Electro-Hydraulic Press which was originally intended for supply to the USSR, and a massive 2,500 ton Steam-Hydraulic Press used for closed-die forging.

The Steam Hammer you refer to was known as "Tiny Tim" and had a "tup" weight of 30 tons, being driven down by 100 lbs/sq inch steam pressure. The forging tool would add another two to three tons to the total so it was no wonder it shook the town. This hammer was moved to Sheffield when English Steel Corporation took over Darlington Forge, I believe in 1936. Another steam hammer remained which had a six ton "tup", which could deliver a fair bang on its own account. The twin legs of Tiny Tim now form the gateway to Beamish Museum. - Maurice Bartle, Middleton Tyas.

ROYAL WEDDING

I MAY be in the minority, but let us not forget that Princess Diana was a vain, shallow, air-head bimbo who cuckolded her husband with several different men. She was not averse either to using her sons to get near men; on the pretext of giving riding lessons, in the case of James Hewitt, and rugby lessons, in the case of Will Carling. People seem to overlook Diana's faults, which were many. - J Watson, Washington.

WHAT a shame you had to inset an engagement picture of Diana on the front page and a wedding one on the inside (Echo, Feb 11) to illustrate the engagement of Charles and Camilla. I think the paper let itself down.

Opinions have altered since Diana died. We are all getting older. Diana won't be forgotten, but is the past.

Everyone should be free to take whatever happiness they can get. - Joyce Rutter, Richmond.

WINDFARMS

THE only reason more windfarms will be located in the North-East (Echo, Feb 14) is because of the huge subsidies paid to the operators by the Government (ie us, the tax payers), and the high charges for the power they produce, which is paid by us the consumers.

If windfarms had to be purely commercial operations paid for by the operators and competing on the open market they would not be built.

Also, it should be understood that windfarms do not reduce emissions of carbon dioxide from conventional fossil fuelled power stations. - J Routledge, Witton Gilbert.

LOST VOTES

MANY members of the forces will not be eligible to vote in the next election. Prior to the 2004 Representation of the People Act, members of the forces registered once and remained on the roll until they were discharged. Now they must register every year. If you have relatives, family or friends in the forces, make sure they have registered to vote. - R Peart, Stanley.