HOW good it was of our Tory MPs to remind us of the plight of the people of Surrey (Echo, May 19). Their council only gets £52 per year to spend on them. Durham has a whopping £65 each.

Recently we spent some time in the Home Counties. Just driving through the towns showed just how well off they are. No empty shops. Small shops doing well. A proliferate of expensive cars. No battered Micras!

Our guide proudly pointed out the supermarket that took £1,000,000 in a day.

Another world compared with, for example, the ex-colliery villages of east Durham. Still they do have the extra £13.

Bill Bartle, Barnard Castle.