RE Grahame Morris’s reference to Margaret Thatcher’s legacy in the North-East (HAS, Jan 1).

Even as a fan of Mrs Thatcher she did not do much, if anything, to counter the welfare trap, and the collapse of the nationalised industries allowed it to ensnare more people.

What has the Labour Party done to alleviate this over the past 12 years apart from entrench it with the scrapping of the 10p income tax rate and taking away more power from local communities?

We have the alteration of Durham Market Place taking place to the tune of £5m that nobody wants, and if we were to refuse to move the Lord Londonderry statue, we lose the money to develop the city with it; such is the way that regional development agencies work.

Labour has completely failed the region’s economy and has a record of stalled social mobility, widening inequality and the region having the highest rate of unemployment in the country.

Is this something Mr Morris can be proud of? He talks bravely, but feels the need to conceal the fact he is the Labour parliamentary candidate for Easington. He knows his party has let us down through complacency and arrogance.

Thomas Byrne, Sacriston, Durham.