LABOUR politicians seem determined to talk down anything positive on the jobs front.

A large number of jobs are being announced, particularly by small companies helping to rebalance the economy which has been dominated by the public sector for too long.

During the dying days of the last government, warnings were raised about the over-reliance on public sector jobs in recognition that the balance had to be restored.

Socialist policies throughout Europe are being discredited, the latest being France, and still we have Labour MPs and councillors saying spending is the only solution to the problem.

We should all be promoting the North-East as a great place for business and encouraging a better understanding in the educational sector of the need to ensure our young people are acquiring the skills needed by the private sector.

It is with deep regret that there was not the courage or imagination of the Darlington establishment to grasp the opportunity to set up a university technology college which was fully supported by a number of our major companies.

People who continue to talk down the region should join their like-minded comrades in Europe.

They can leave the rest of us to get on with the job of rebuilding our area.

Heather Scott, Conservative group leader, Darlington Borough Council.