Much has been gained

Does this apply to everyone who responds to letters or only those who correct Mr Beck?

Mr Beck continues his previous discredited claims on Government spending in the North East compared with areas in the South.

In his letter (February 17) under the heading “We are seeing little benefit”, he claims the Government has done little for Labour-run councils.

Well, we could take a look at the millions of pounds that have poured into Sunderland since 2010.

We have had funding to buy the Vaux site, a rail line into the port, funding for the new bridge, funding to improve the road network, a new hospital, an upgraded A&E unit, a new dementia centre, a new college in the city centre, which are just some of the investment that makes up the £369million investment.

I have previously pointed Mr Beck to the House of Commons Library document Briefing Paper Number 04033, May 19, 2015, which destroys his arguments about distribution of Government spending across the UK.

If he had only read Sunderland Council’s budget proposals he would have seen references to “Government actions to allocate funds on a fairer basis” and the support grant funding reducing less than the national average “again reflecting some positive impact from the Governments actions to allocate the cuts on a fairer basis”.

Mr Beck could also take note of the council’s recent statement that unemployment in Sunderland was “at a 25-year low”.

Alan Wright