PAT GLASS’S election campaign leaflet claims that when Durham County Council planned to close Newtown House in Stanhope she was “Standing up for Weardale”.

This is somewhat mystifying as Mrs Glass did not attend the packed public meeting in Stanhope Town Hall and delayed visiting Weardale and Newtown House until well after the decision on closure had been taken. Protestations to Mrs Glass regarding the county council's lack of democratic process fell on deaf ears.

Mrs Glass also states that she was “disappointed with the outcome of the closure process” yet she chose political impotency.

It will no doubt be the people of Weardale who are the disappointed party in that our MP can be so disingenuous and stoop to use our vulnerable elderly in spurious political propaganda.

The leaflet states that Tory government cuts “forced DCC to shut Newtown House” which is, of course, politically motivated piffle. The powerful Labour leadership of DCC decided to close Newtown House.

The MP’s claim that she is involved in developing a social- care strategy for the area demonstrates a further lack of understanding .The current social-care provision for the residents of Weardale is abysmal.

Joy Urwin, Westgate.