IT is clear that Theresa May has called a General Election out of opportunism and intolerance: opportunism in seeking to exploit the weakness of Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour party; and intolerance in seeking a landslide majority to bring about ‘unity’, by which she means her desire to impose whatever interpretation of Brexit she wishes without any meaningful scrutiny from Parliament.

Meanwhile, the Conservative Brexit-obsessed Government fails to provide the decent schools, hospitals and social care which our communities desperately require.

The interests of the Conservative Party are again being put before the daily needs of the British people.

Here in the North-East we deserve a better choice than Theresa May’s hard Brexit and Jeremy Corbyn’s hapless leadership.

The Liberal Democrats will oppose the Conservatives damaging approach to Brexit and can end the crisis we face in health care and education.

David Freeman, Durham Central Liberal Democrats

I REFER to the feature article by Chris Lloyd with regard to the forthcoming General Election, headed “Any hope in the heartland” (Echo, April 19) and in particular “the spotlight will turn to Bishop Auckland, where Helen Goodman’s majority has been eroded to 3,508. Surely it is inconceivable that such a seat could turn blue”.

Well, let us look back to 1983 when Ossie O’Brien won a Parliamentary by-election and the following week Margaret Thatcher called a snap General Election.

At the time the Labour Party were led by Michael Foot and were trailing 14 polling points behind the Conservatives. The outcome was the Conservatives won Darlington and nationally the Labour Party suffered wipe-out.

Fast forward to today the Labour Party led by Jeremey Corbyn and trailing the Conservative not by 14 polling points but 20. Yes. Chris is correct to state Helen Goodman’s majority has been eroded, indeed the last time Derek Foster contested the seat his majority, in 2001, was 13,926. Perhaps erosion is an understatement.

Well, the town of Bishop Auckland has always been two blues on June 8 I can well foresee the Bishop Auckland Constituency becoming not two blues put True Blues Conservative and Helen Goodman will go down in history for losing a Labour stronghold.

Billy Neilson, Bishop Auckland

A SURPRISE snap General Election is to be held on Thursday, June 8.

All parties will be busying themselves composing their latest manifestos.

For those who remember the Tory party manifesto for the 2015 election they will feel a little Short-changed. Not only was it 82 pages and 36,000 words long, it was a work littered with lies and untruths.

No wonder the Tories won; they promised everything but the kitchen sink.

But once elected the Tories showed their true colours with the NHS and education suffering badly.

They also hoodwinked families by promising not to cut child tax credits, but did it anyway.

They promised to protect the vulnerable and disabled from cuts, only to cruelly snatch £30 a week off employment and support allowance recipients.

According to the bookmakers, the Labour party is going to be wiped off the face of the map. But a lot of things have happened in the past two years, including a million people a year using food banks.

Voters are not going to be conned so easily this time around.

Stephen Dixon, Redcar