LIKE trying to pin the tail on a donkey while blindfolded, Hugh Bayley and his poverty-denying New Labour Government promote the building of a new eco town somewhere within the countryside triangle between Harrogate, Leeds and York.

This doesn't sound very eco friendly, as it will involve the destruction of wildlife habitat, concreting over fields and travelling in cars with even more pressure on York's tightening ring road.

Mr Bayley says "New Labourville" will consist of quality, environmentally-sound housing to take pressure off the York housing shortage crisis. I'm not sure if he means it will be a posh town full of wealthy people or a shanty town for the poor.

The fact is that after more than ten years of Gordon Brown as Chancellor and PM, there are still 1.6 million children without an adequate home - because the Government did not build enough council housing.

There are plenty of areas in York to build affordable housing that does not involve travelling thousands of miles each year by car.

The only home affordable to many people is a council house because they will never be able to afford a deposit, let alone a mortgage - which, thanks to Gordon Brown, are being increasingly denied due to the credit crunch.

Meanwhile, the foot-in-mouth Tories talk about charity solving our "broken society", with no mention how they propose to house people who can't afford their own home.

I hope New Labourville has its own post office, because Mr Bayley's Government is closing many of them down.

But then, it's hard to get something posted these days because the Government can't treat its postal workers properly, resulting in very disruptive strike action to business and consumers.

T Scaife, Manor Drive, York.