Dear Sir,
Having read the article from our ‘invisible’ so called MP, Allan Strickland, isn’t it time he worked on our future and not live in the past, praising what he did for Hitachi Rail?
The last Labour MP tried this and lost out at the next election. What we really want to know is he going to follow whatever his mate Starmer does or listen and start to represent the people who voted him in?
Remember some of the things he voted for, loss of money for pensioners, a budget that has done harm to our economy, the loss of finance to our councils and financial help to areas which never seem to get to Newton Aycliffe.
I noticed he has his name now on the window of his secured office, but, unlike the last two MPs, has no direct phone advertised. We need Mr Strickland to take the blinkers off, stop being a novice MP and get out, why not have an open meeting somewhere local and speak to the people who are paying his wages and expenses?
If he is afraid to do this, then he should resign and let the constituents choose someone they think can. Remember that the Starmer led, along with his Labour MPs government is now on its knees with support at the lowest level any government has ever had and is running our country to the dogs.
Let’s hope for a happy New Year!
John Armstrong, Newton Aycliffe.

RESPONSE FROM MP, ALAN STRICKLAND
Dear Sir,
I’m proud to be the Member of Parliament for your town and to be out and about every week, visiting schools, businesses, voluntary groups and a range of other brilliant local organisations.
It was a privilege, just before Christmas, to hold my 50th advice surgery with residents. These are held in community venues across the many towns and villages in the constituency. My team and I are highly accessible to residents, as demonstrated by the over 6,500 resident cases and enquiries we’ve handled since the election and the many wins delivered for constituents.
All of this, and summaries of my wider work as your local MP, has been set out clearly in the columns I’ve written for every edition of the Newton News since the election, my Aycliffe Radio slots and my daily posts on a range of social media platforms.
Happy New Year.
Alan Strickland MP,
Member of Parliament for Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor.