A READER gets in touch to question why MPs in the region are backing the Prime Minister and Chancellor following the apparent breaking of lockdown rules.

"Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak have been slapped with a fine for breaking lockdown rules.

"But why are so many North East MPs queuing up to praise them?

"Not a single local Conservative MP has condemned the actions of a leader who condoned illegal lockdown events such as prosecco parties, cheeseboard nosebags and even his own birthday bash, in which he was apparently ambushed by a cake.

‘’People make mistakes’’ is the current Tory defence.

"But millions of other people didn’t make mistakes. They all abided by the rules which at times was very difficult to do.

"The 359 Conservative MPs have the power to cast Boris adrift, with just 54 MPs required to trigger a leadership challenge .

"But if the tone of the North East Tories is anything to go by, few will.

"The usual line up of nodding donkeys in Simon Clark, Jacob Young, Peter Gibson and Matt Vickers are all reading from the same shameful script hoping the half-hearted apology the PM has issued will suffice.

"They are just condoning his lying and his lawbreaking.

"Each may not care about the consequences of keeping Boris in place for short-term gain.

"But in the long-term, if they can’t see the difference between right and wrong they are simply not fit to govern on Teesside."

Stephen Dixon, Redcar.

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