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David Helliwell (Letters, 9 May) repeats the tired cliche that Camden is full of middle-class liberals who aren't in touch with "real issues", in contrast with common-sense Doncaster. In terms of social class, this is misleading. Camden and Doncaster have nearly the same number of people employed in manufacturing – Camden 10,900, Doncaster 11,000, according to the Office of National Statistics. Camden has 23,665 council homes, with 15,213 people on its waiting lists; Doncaster has 21,000 council homes, with 10,438 on the waiting list. From 2009-10 there were 17,500 people in Camden classed as "economically inactive looking for work"; in Doncaster there were 16,000.
It is also politically misleading. The people of Doncaster use the AV system to elect their mayor. He is not a socialist working-class hero, but an English Democrat, ex-teacher. Meanwhile in Camden we have one of the largest constituency Labour parties in the country, with nearly 1,400 members.
William Farrell
London
• There may not be much remaining of the woollen industry in Yorkshire but there's evidently enough left to pull over the eyes of the dinosaur-tendency in the Labour party there. Thanks, Doncaster (No to AV, 73%) for playing the willing dupe to the bankers and stockbrokers of Surrey Heath (No, 75%). Thanks, Labour No voters, for undermining the authority and credibility of your party leader. Thanks for helping to ensure that in the Midlands we'll have to endure many years of unpopular Conservative MPs voted in by a minority.
Paul Birchall
Derby
