Alan Milburn

Since my fellow townsfolk elected him in 1992, I have only seen him twice in Darlington – once when he was canvassing prior to an election, and at last year’s Remembrance Day service at the town’s Holy Trinity Church.

It seems that Mr Milburn totally forgot the borough he was elected to represent and, instead, made a name for himself in politics in his many changing roles at Westminster.

Where was he when many Darlingtonians lost their jobs in factories due to the current recession? Where was he when Darlington FC went into administration in 2003?

Where was he when my mother tried to make an appointment to see him a few months before her death? No doubt swanning around the Commons looking for another TV interview and arranging his other business interests.

I am pleased to hear he is standing down at the next General Election, as Darlington may well get an MP who will actually serve its citizens. Good riddance, dude.

Christopher Wardell, Darlington.

THERE has been an abundance of recent hilarity from a Labour Party that men such as Keir Hardie embraced.

But it was the news that Darlington Labour MP Alan Milburn will stand down at the next General Election that I feel most inclined to comment on.

My only criticism would be that Mr Milburn should stand down now and force a by-election, as should every MP who will not be standing at the next election.

Party politics aside, to my knowledge Mr Milburn has involved himself in local disputes, turned up at meetings and involved himself in general.

Within Labour, he was among those who abandoned the class war and politics of envy mentality that positioned “old”

Labour firmly within the political wilderness and made the party (on paper anyway) appear electable.

Des More, Darlington.