SURPRISINGLY, excellent odds are being offered by some chums at Cambridge on the chances of another Fenland councillor being elected leader of Cambridgeshire County Council.

Some smart money is being wagered on Whittlesey councillor Martin Curtis, above, acceding to the top job – an unlikely prospect a few short years ago but now a distinct �possibility.

The engaging Cllr Curtis has �performed, in the eyes of many �colleagues, superbly well in �handling the tricky children’s and young �people’s portfolio at Shire Hall.

He won support recently for a speech to colleagues on IT �development and he fought a fairly decent Parliamentary campaign in �Nottingham, too.

Not only that but he’s triggered a Man of the People image with his eclectic taste in music, as readers of this column will fondly recall.

Odds of 8-1 offer a half-decent wager – I make him second or third favourite, so watch this space.

His colleague Councillor Steve Tierney is likely to be among his �supporters.

“You won’t goad me into a �comment,” he remarked on Twitter this week.

“Except that I agree Martin is fantastic with his portfolio brief. Exceptional.”