JUST how naive do politicians think the British people are? Here we have Gordon Brown and his New Labour supporters making a big play about the £14m flood relief fund.

Massive areas of the country, east to west and for 100 miles north to south through Yorkshire and the Midlands, have been inundated, causing many rivers to burst their banks and this Government, which is willing to spend billions on overseas aid, comes up with this relatively small amount for its own people.

I can't understand how many of the people involved do not have some form of home contents insurance cover at least, but for the Government to come up with such a paltry sum for such a large area of devastation is a slap in the face for those involved.

All this will lead to higher council tax increases over coming years to pay for councils having to borrow to repair the infrastructure because the Government can only see its way to help out with £14m.

Peter Dolan, Newton Aycliffe, Co Durham.