A FEW weeks back the Echo screamed “money taken from poor North to fund affluent South” – a point so easy to dispute that it displayed journalism at its most lazy.

Now more drivel from the silver-spoon socialist Councillor Simon Henig, the leader of Durham County Council (Echo, Jan 19). In response to the working-class Tory Eric Pickles, Coun Henig claims the cuts are “ideologically driven”.

Coun Henig pushed for an “ideological” North-East Assembly, which despite the no vote still spent millions of our money.

Coun Henig promised millions of pounds in savings and a council tax reduction due to the creation of a unitary authority which, again, the people had voted against.

I’m still waiting for a reduction in my £1,500 tax bill.

Instead, Coun Henig now admits that Durham is poor and needs higher funding – just how long are these people going to keep this area poor? We have an army of civil servants employed to chase more and more funding – for what, to keep us classified as poor!

In 1997, 106 council officers across North-East councils earned above £50,000 at a cost of £6.49m. In 2010, this had risen to 1,705 earning above £50,000 at a cost of £117.5m.

Coun Henig’s socialist ideology laid bare: a 17-fold increase in management costs and cut buses for schools and the elderly!

Jim Tague, Bishop Auckland.

IN all the talk of cuts at Durham County Council, the one thing that has not been mentioned is cutting members’ allowances. If the allowances were cut by say £5,000 per member per annum, that would save over 20 jobs.

Wouldn’t this be a wonderful gesture?

Philip Wolstenholme, Newton Hall, Durham.