I THINK of the Tory Party in the same way that I think of a magician because, when the Tories are in government, things start disappearing in County Durham.

In my time, I’ve seen railway stations, pits and a whole lot more just vanish from the landscape.

At present they are playing “now you see it, now you don’t” with our libraries, sports centres and bus services.

Already, late-night and Sunday bus services have disappeared from Weardale and scores of other villages. Very soon sports centres at Crook and Ferryhill will disappear, while Cockerton library and the Arts Centre in Darlington are having the magic Tory wand waved over them.

Just to rub salt into these wounds, I have just read in The Northern Echo (Nov 21) about county council funding. Every authority in the North-East, apart from two, has received less funding from central government than they really need, with Durham County Council receiving £11.5m less than it needs. Furthermore, this report also states that Surrey County Council has received £62m more than its level of need.

If there is one tiny grain of truth in this report then please someone, somewhere get rid of these Tories. As Tommy Cooper would have said: “Just like that.”

John Phelan, Crook.