I AM writing to thank readers who voted for No2EU-Yes to Democracy in the recent European Parliament elections.

Our North-East total of 8,066 votes, in a contest where only the establishment parties got any real media coverage, was a creditable achievement.

The meltdown of Labour’s vote, coupled with the election nationally of two BNP representatives, has already led many to question what sort of political alternative is necessary to give working people a genuine alternative they can believe in; one that will fight the haemorrhage of jobs and factories from our region, and the undermining of people’s ability to resist.

No2EU was a temporary coalition for the Euro elections.

But the lessons of trade unions, such as the RMT, working with socialist groups such as my own, shows the possibility of a wider, working class coalition for future elections.

What we did in these elections, under-resourced and underfunded, was a good start. If we can achieve that in the nine weeks we were together, think what we could build for the General Election. But we can’t do that alone. Any reader who would like to help build a new workers’ party can contact me at hannah_where@hotmail.com Hannah Walter, Socialist Party Candidate in No2EU-Yes to Democracy, Durham.

I WOULD like to extend my sincerest thanks to the North-East’s 52,700 British National Party voters who saw through the sustained and desperate lie and smear campaign orchestrated against us and still voted BNP on June 4.

This result will provide an excellent platform for our democratic campaign in the General Election should Gordon Brown have the fortitude to call it.

Adam Walker, BNP North-East European Election Candidate, Spennymoor.

THE European elections across the country were extraordinary in the sense that the Labour vote collapsed across the country.

Nowhere was the result more exceptional than on Teesside.

The Conservative Party topped the Euro poll across Teesside, beating Labour by more than 2,000 votes (31,367 to 29,087).

Every single MP in Teesside is Labour and they should all be looking over their shoulders following this vote – especially in the marginal seats of Stockton South and Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland.

The result shows the Conservatives are winning the battle of ideas on Teesside on jobs, crime and public services.

For too long, Labour has taken support locally for granted.

We now need a General Election. While Labour descends into infighting the country is not being governed. We deserve better. Until the next election Conservatives will continue to listen, lead and take action on the issues that matter on Teesside.

Paul Bristow, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate, Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland.