Yet another election! This time of a local nature to appoint the “£770 million mayor” (Ely Standard April 20).

Seven candidates are after the job and there can be no doubt that the money involved has a golden linig to their aspirations.

It is argued that past and present county councils have made mistakes, but whatever name they use - devolution and the rest - this is and always will be the case. There is more to it than meets the eye.

Promises, promises, promises has always been the mantra of governing bodies and always the taxpayers foots the bill.

Why are potholes not being filled in and roads re-surfaced, waste bins emptied? Why is it that 500 of the top council earners in the country are getting higher salaries than the Prime Minister? One in the north country has retired sooner than later with £625,570 stuffed in his pocket!

That’s why as far as I can see the successful mayoral candidate for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough will need to spend extravagantly but he or she will trip merrily laughing all the way to the bank. No wonder politics is becoming a dirty word.

TREVOR BEVIS

March