MP and Labour group at war

Kevan Jones, MP for North Durham, hit the headlines last month when he called for Chester-le-Street and Derwentside district councils to be abolished - adding Derwentside council was "about as popular as a dose of the plague."

Those comments have provoked a furious response from Derwentside council's Labour group. A letter sent by its secretary Oswald Johnson to Mr Jones said: "Your behaviour can only be described as despicable and unforgiving. Derwentside district Labour group demands a public apology and a retraction of your statement."

A reply by Mr Jones reads: "I have no intention of apologising and will explain the reasons why.

"I have spent a great deal of time getting to know the views and problems of my constituents, including those in the Stanley area.

"Whether yourself, or the council as an entity realises it or not Derwentside District Council has not got a good name amongst local people in my constituency.

"It is my job as MP to articulate and represent the views of the people who elected me and not simply ignore them. It is interesting that since the meeting the only people who seemed to disagree with my comments, and you are the first to actually have the courage to write to me, have been councillors. The opposite has been the case with local people."

Mr Johnson declined to speak about the matter but Derwentside District Council leader Alex Watson said: "I hope our differences can be resolved and I am more than willing to work with Kevan in the interests of the area, although I think his comments were unfair."

Hopi Sen, spokesman for the North-East Labour Party, said: "It is not always the job of MPs and councils to agree with each other but if it came to it we would be willing to facilitate a discussion between the two sides."

Mr Jones's comment about abolishing district councils were made at a public meeting in Stanley on June 27. He was speaking on a Government White Paper which recommends a major shake-up in local government.