SO the election dust has settled and the new political picture of the UK has emerged. The Scots may well be on their way to independence - a cert if we English were allowed a vote - and vast swathes of the country are of the blue persuasion.

One part remains stubbornly red (with orange undertones). Let's remind ourselves that it's where household incomes are the lowest, quality of housing is the poorest, health is the worst, deprivation is most concentrated and unemployment the highest in mainland UK.

It is, of course, right here in the North-East. And that's in spite of ten years of Labour government and a sitting MP as Prime Minister.

But let's not fool ourselves into believing that Conservative leader David Cameron has any intention of improving our lot. It's clear that the Barnett Formula won't be revisited by the Tories if they get a chance and we have the 18 years of experience from 1979 by which to judge their true intentions - which are to ignore our plight.

I don't know the answer to this conundrum and would welcome the views of HAS readers with bright ideas for a resolution.

David Lacey, Newton Hall, Durham.

THE Tories may have won lots of council seats, but Labour is still slightly better off than two years before the General Election victory of 2005.

The fly in the ointment for both main parties is Scotland. Many English people are now saying if the Scots want to go their own way, let them.

This is a short-sighted approach to a tricky situation. Scotland without England is well able to support its health service, education, etc.

England with its ever expanding population, including a huge influx of people from Eastern Europe, could be in deep trouble, indeed even show signs of public unrest.

As a Scot I have mixed feelings about Scottish independence and SNP leader Alex Salmond may well find it difficult to get a majority for such a monumental approach.

A look at the electoral map of the UK shows Labour still strong in Scotland and almost impregnable in Northern England with only the Shires showing strong support for the Tories.

When Gordon Brown becomes Prime Minister and can get us out of Iraq and Afghanistan, Labour may well be in a strong position to win the next General Election.

Bookmakers are shrewd judges and still have Labour favourites to win again.

Hugh Pender, Darlington.

WE at Newton Aycliffe have just seen a big change in the composition of the borough council and the town council in that many Newton Aycliffe councillors, who stood as supporters of the Labour Party, have lost the confidence of the town's people because of activities not confined to local politics.

Senior Labour Party councillors were more interested in empire building than what happened to the town, as seen from the length of inactivity over the completion of the town centre development and the lack of shopping facilities this brought with it.

Great Aycliffe Town Council was previously controlled completely by the Labour Party and always requires the highest share of the Sedgefield borough council tax, but is now a no overall control council and voters must wait to see if the Labour Party element still wants to pursue policies that lost many councillors their seats.

At the first meeting of our new town council all councillors must look for ways to reduce the town council's ever-expanding debt which continues yearly to push up our council tax brought about by the last four years of Labour Party-only rule.

Peter Dolan, Newton Aycliffe, Co Durham.

I STOOD as a candidate in the Cockerton West ward of Darlington Borough Council in last Thursday's local elections and attended the counting of the votes.

I found the procedure most interesting. Great care was taken to see that every vote was accounted for. In some wards there were careful recounts.

I noticed that many candidates, with little chance of success, were sufficiently interested to attend.

There was respect shown between members of different parties.

I personally appreciate the support shown by the voters of Cockerton West.

Lennie Douglas, Liberal Democrat candidate, Darlington.

IT was with regret that I heard the results of the recent town council election in Yarm and that all but one of the previous councillors had not been re-elected.

In recent years our councillors have worked together, under the chairmanships of Philip Addison and Peter Monck, in a way that a local council should - ie, putting any political differences in second place and Yarm and its residents first.

One can only hope that the almost totally new council will have the same interest and commitment to Yarm and its community.

Pamela Jones, Yarm.