THE opening salvos have been fired in the battle to represent Darlington in Parliament.

Although the next General Election does not have to be held until 2002, the two key candidates who will be contesting the Darlington seat have come out fighting.

Tony Richmond, the Conservatives' prospective parliamentary candidate, struck first by claiming Government plans for a supplementary business rate would add more than £1m to the costs of local firms.

He also said that a further threat was a proposal to tax each car parking space provided for employees.

But Health Secretary and Darlington MP Alan Milburn responded to the claims, saying it was up to local authorities to tax car parking, and that there were no plans to introduce such a tax.

Mr Richmond, who is also leader of the Conservative group on Darlington Borough Council, said: "Adding to the tax burden of local companies will stop them creating jobs.

"We are suffering from the consequences of the North/South divide and this will make matters worse."

Mr Milburn said he was amazed by the audacity of Conservatives in Darlington.

"The North/South divide is the product of all the years of Tory neglect that Labour is trying to put right," he said.

"It was the Tories that caused Darlington to lose its assisted area status, and Labour that won it back.

"It was the Tories that put the country through recession after recession, and it was the Tories that would take businesses and families back to boom and bust.