JOHN PELHAM (HAS, Nov 17) suggests the Conservatives should be compared to a magician because they make things disappear. Nonsense. He forgets the things that have already re-appeared in David Cameron’s first 18 months.

Let’s start with jobs in the steel industry following a deal to restart the blast furnace at Redcar, coincidentally reached after David Cameron’s first foreign visit to India during which he met the president of Tata, parent company of the plant’s former owner, Corus.

Next, jobs in the train industry following the Transport Secretary’s decision to locate the Hitachi factory in County Durham.

Don’t forget last week hope reappeared for hundreds of staff at Northern Rock as the Chancellor reached a deal with Virgin Money that guarantees its headquarters will be in the North-East with no job losses here.

Times are tough, thanks in part to the last Government spending all our money and our children’s money, but the Conservatives are making steady progress on business reforms that are starting to help the private sector grow and create jobs.

David Cameron isn’t a magician. It was Gordon Brown and Ed Balls whose stock in trade was smoke and mirrors.

Graham Robb, Middleton St George.