THE downturn in the economy is affecting local people in different ways.

At the weekend, myself and local Liberal Democrat activists, including all the local Lib Dem councillors, visited homes in the Parkside and Oxbridge areas of Stockton with a one-minute survey on the credit crunch.

The response was positive.

People were unhappy with the Government’s management of the economy. Some expressed the view that Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling should resign.

Individual experiences ranged from pensioners who had seen essential income from investments dwindle to those who had been made redundant after their workplaces had closed down.

People expressed concerns about their own situations in relation to MPs’ expenses, particularly those of the Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, who has claimed for a bath plug, viewing of adult videos and living with her sister. They wondered how she could remain in post.

Jacquie Bell, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokeswoman, Stockton South.