THREE cheers for Graham Robb for pointing out what should be done to improve business etc. in Darlington in the immediate future.

Indeed all these improvements would have taken place ten years ago had an elected mayor been put into place and the Labour cabinet would have been wound up ridding the town of them and their Clause 4.

During the elected mayor campaign, the Labour Party even used a private PR company to sing the praises of the Labour cabinet with no recognition of the work carried out by the two elected mayors from Middlesbrough or Hartlepool, freeing their town of the undemocratic power of the Labour Party and Clause 4.

Both these towns have improved the lot of their citizens and have been open for business for many years.

The demise of shops including Binns, the covered market etc. is a direct result of the re-routing of those buses from the affluent West End etc. on to the ring road creating a no-go area for shoppers from those places.

Also the placing of market stalls in front of high rated shops has created unfair competition.

Clause 4 is alive, well and living in Darlington Town Hall and will remain until a future elected mayor takes over – until then Mr Robb, things will remain the same and Clause 4 – and the Labour Party – will continue to ruin this town like so many others.

Ten years have passed since the last campaign to elect a mayor in this town and therefore sufficient time has elapsed to allow another campaign to take place. Elected mayor information packs are available in the Town Hall. If you ever see Clause 4 and those in it then ‘Bin it’.

Peter Jones, Darlington