Dear Readers,
Last week I read 2 Pro-Brexit letters creating an unbalanced view of national public opinion.
I understand that Newton Aycliffe and many industrial parts of the North East are pro Brexit by up to 60%.
However, this means that at least 40% prefer to remain in the EU. Also, in the last 3 years public opinion has changed and the 48%/52% split is definitely not the case now (as 800,000 people marching on London, recently showed).
I am saddened by the vilification of Sedgefield MP Phil Wilson, whom some labour supporters and the national Party have heavily criticised and threatened to deselect due to his honest view to prefer to remain in the EU.
There are many moderate, centrist Labour MPs who support remain and it is only since Momentum and the radical left wing of the Labour Party have hijacked the MPs by saying most members want to leave but most MPs want to remain.
I have, in 3 years, still not seen any concrete business deal offers from the rest of the world, other than rumours about Trump taking over the NHS and sell chlorinated chicken to the UK.
We should, I believe, instead be fighting for a better deal from within the EU. The Germans and French have too much control and influence but leaving will not improve this.
Leaving a market on our doorstep of over 200 million is like closing down the bestselling shop on the High Street.
The old reasons of immigration and payments to the EU are false as EU workers in UK has dropped very significantly and even Farage now admits the NHS claim to save millions a day was wrong.
When we voted no one knew about the big divorce bill, the threat of major employers like Toyota leaving the UK, the Irish border issue, the Scots threatening to leave UK to stay in EU and Welsh farmers feeling betrayed.
Brexiteers say leave as democratic vote but now people know how many millions Brexit has cost and is still costing every day the UK people still cannot give 10 good reasons to leave or one major company or country that has offered to do a deal if we leave the EU.
In fact Gove, Fox and Mogg have been humiliated when false claims of deals were published.
I invite Phil Wilson to move to the only 100% clear remain party, where he will be treated fairly and  not be threatened with deselection because he has the right to have a different view within a party on one issue.
Before anyone gives the usual negative comments about the Liberal Democrats let me remind them that in coalition we stopped the Tories privatising the NHS and primary schools.
We also raised the tax threshold to £11k taking millions out of poverty. As for the student loans nonsense, we ensured poorer students paid less and gave primary children in deprived areas a pupil premium to reduce food and clothing struggles.
Lib Dems are not controlled or funded by unions or big business. Despite this I have only ever seen labour and Conservative newsletters through my door at election times in the last 16 years.
I personally delivered 800 leaflets in St Mary’s and Shafto Ward about litter picking volunteers for Durham Civic Pride and Durham Lib Dems put out 12,000 newsletters about lack of council spending in Newton Aycliffe due to austerity despite having very large reserves at County Hall.
Added to this county and local councillors claiming expenses for both Aycliffe and Darlington.
Don’t just vote for who you think will win but in whom you believe to be fair, honest and willing to work in cooperation with other parties for the good of the whole community not just who has taken for granted your vote for the last 40 years.
Complacency becomes normal when it is seen as a safe seat but action will be increased and improved  by competition and cooperation.
Vote Liberal Democrat for a healthy balance between business and welfare. It’s not a wasted vote, as we often hold the balance of power when Labour and Tory vote is split 50/50.
Mr Armstrong
Diversity & Welfare Officer
Darlington and Sedgefield Liberal Democrats