THERE must be an election in the offing: the Tory writing school has found its pen again.

Let people be aware that in between elections they have to hand in their pens and go out into the community to find dirt on their opponents which can be used to fight the next election.

Please spare us this and let people be elected on merit, otherwise the result might be the same as the national result was, which was won on fake promises - just ask the fishermen, or ask the Northern Irish people with shortages in the shops.

The people writing columns in the Echo use their staff, paid for by us the public, to promote their political ends. When will this stop?

Name supplied, Bishop Auckland.