RE your story about Tees Valley Unlimited (Echo, July 26), a consortium of five local authorities, seeking to create a Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).
Oh dear, here we go. The disintegration of the North-East into four or five clusters of local authorities and power groups, all fighting each other for crumbs at the Treasury table.
But how wonderful it could have been if we had a single elected body to represent all 2½ million of us. One that could stand up to the Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish, who manage to put enormous pressure on Westminster and win funding and jobs as a result.
It could have been called the Regional Assembly and been directly accountable to the electorate for representing the region.
What’s that you say? We had the chance to have one and turned it down. Never.
Surely not even the traditionally parochial voters of the North-East would reject such a golden opportunity to secure a better future for themselves and their families, would they?
If so, they are getting all they deserve. That is nothing.
David Lacey, Durham.
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