RAY MALLON has made the journey from inspirational Robocop to robotic fatalist with another column of miserable downbeat whingeing (Echo, July 1) about the Government, seemingly without noticing Teesside looks to be getting some preferable treatment and decent uplifting coverage regarding its Enterprise Zone status.

If Mr Mallon really believes the North is propping up the affluent South, then he shouldn’t hold such a position of office.

Mr Mallon suggests the likes of Middlesbrough (population 141,000) lost £80 per head from funding whereas affluent areas of the horrible Home Counties only lost £20 per head.

Using comparable information available for similar population sizes that would mean Middlesbrough went from £611 per head to £531, a reduction of 13.1 per cent.

Wokingham (population 166,000) will reduce from £124 per head to £104, a drop of 16.1 per cent.

As a percentage of income, comparable affluent areas lost more income.

The uncomfortable truth is the affluent areas are propping up the North-East with vast amounts of money. It can’t work any other way.

Is it more the case that Mr Mallon and other leaders would rather us stay that way?

Mr Mallon’s aim ought to be reducing state funding based on comparable growing affluence – that would be real progress.

J Tague, Bishop Auckland.