THE Northern Echo’s front page “Same subsidies he called unjust” (Echo, Aug 12) was an effort to demonise Brexit architect Dominic Cummings but it will, I am sure in the eyes of many people, have the opposite effect.

I have to admit up until his recent appointment as a special advisor to Boris Johnson I hadn’t heard of Dominic or his views but as long as the UK is a member of the EU, why shouldn’t his family take legal handouts from an organisation you oppose?

After all, the UK contributes approximately £13bn to the EU receiving £4bn back in benefits. Why look a gift horse in the mouth?

If the family didn’t take handouts they were entitled to legally no doubt they would be described as foolish business people.

In addition, I think the Echo, and Durham City MP Roberta Blackwood-Woods who featured in the article, have sunk to a new low in their efforts to discredit the Leave vote.

The article also featured a wonderful description of Dominic’s education record – did the readers really need to know? There is a lot of envy about.

Mike Taylor, Darlington