THERE’S something odd about this election campaign.

Normally, when a party has been in government for over nine years, you would expect it to be campaigning on its record. “Look what we’ve done”, they would say, “look what we’ve achieved”.

But they aren’t doing this, and the reason isn’t hard to find.

There are no achievements – there’s nothing to boast about. Wherever we look – health, education, social care, housing, transport – all we see is failure.

The record of the Conservative Party in government is abysmal.

The only growth has been in the number of food banks (from zero to seven in Bishop Auckland constituency) and the desperation of those forced to use them.

The Conservatives can’t campaign on their record because it doesn’t bear scrutiny.

They’ve failed, and they need to be shown the door.

Michael Broadbent, Hamsterley, Bishop Auckland