THE editorial comment on November 14 says it is time for us all to pull together and doubts if we will benefit from the appointment of Michael Heseltine to help regenerate Teesside.

As you rightly point out, he comes with luggage after suggesting now is "as good a time" as any to be made redundant because of the number of available jobs.

Shortly after he said that the latest unemployment figures showed that the North-East is the only area in which unemployment has increased,.

Unfortunately, there is more to come as companies in the supply change are affected by the collapse of SSI UK in Redcar.

I believe we in the North-East are short changed.

Under the Barnett Formula, Scotland gets £1,700 per person each year more than England. Similarly, Transport For London receives a subsidy of ten per cent of its budget, which last year came to £660m.

What we need is an immediate large investment in the infrastructure of the region. This will create jobs in the short term and more jobs in the long term as the region becomes more attractive to inward investment.

We also need more investment in research and development in the region. This can stimulate the products of the future and make us competitive in the new world.

Brian Fiske, Darlington

I ACCEPT Michael Heseltine’s appointment to head the efforts for the regeneration of our Teesside economy (Echo, Nov 16) even if, were we to meet, our politics would be poles apart.

Politics is about power and in 2015 the Conservatives won the majority of seats in the House of Commons.

The Prime Minister and his appointees will make the crucial decisions until the General Election when I intend to strain my best efforts to get Jeremy Corbyn elected.

G Bulmer, Billingham