I VERY enjoyed reading your round-up of the candidates standing in the Richmond constituency on June 8 (D&S Times, May 19).

As someone who has previously voted both Labour and Liberal Democrat, I found the pitches made by their candidates to be disappointing.

It is unfortunate that neither party could find someone local to represent them (I understand Labour’s Dan Perry is from Newcastle and the Lib Dems’ Tobie Abel is from York).

I understand why Mr Abel is banging on the Brexit issue and as someone who voted to remain in the EU I have some sympathy, but it surely cannot have passed his notice that this area voted to leave and, more importantly, the task facing the country right now is to get the best deal in the forthcoming negotiations, not to re-run the referendum.

It is also a gross misrepresentation to say that the Tories’ approach to Brexit is dominated by immigration when what is really driving the UK’s approach to a future outside the EU is trade with Europe and the rest of the world.

That Mr Perry thinks fracking is the number one concern in this part of the world is frankly laughable.

Given that fracking has had absolutely no impact in North Yorkshire other than the establishment of a protestors’ camp in Ryedale, I do not know what he is talking about.

Yes, offshore wind power is preferable to onshore but as the constituency is some distance from the sea, it can hardly fit the bill as what he calls “locally-sourced” energy.

Much as it grieves me, I shall vote Conservative on June 8. In your article, only Rishi Sunak addresses the issues that really matter to people round here: the Friarage Hospital at Northallerton and the Memorial at Darlington, decent broadband and mobile phone coverage, the quality of our schools and creating the right environment for the small businesses, including farmers, who make the local economy round here tick.

Finally, while originally not from North Yorkshire, he has very much made himself at home here, proving to be a very active and effective local constituency MP. I think he has earned our respect and trust.

Edward Harden, Catterick Garrison