TO straighten this out (It can’t be that difficult to change convention, Letters, June 6). Firstly I did not make “no comment” to The Hunts Post reporter who phoned. I told him I could not speak to him until things were confirmed by St Ives Town Council. Apparently the council could talk, as you knew before me that I was no longer a councillor.

The reporter said he would phone back later, he did not.

I spoke to many people about my concerns regarding calling the St Ives Mayor, Mr Mayor. All except one were in total agreement with me over this matter and all thought I should resign rather than start my four years as a councillor under a cloud of hypocrisy, which would have been the case if I had kowtowed to ridiculous outdated, sexist, derogatory, offensive language used to address the new Lady Mayor.

I did not spend the 60s fighting for women’s rights to watch a Lady Mayor given the derogatory title of “Mr” in 2012.

I was given no information about the protocols of the council prior to standing for election. Most of the outdated nonsense is outdated nonsense, but is not offensive so could be lived with, eg Cameron and Obama were having a summit in shirt sleeves but the councillors in St Ives still wear gowns for monthly meetings. What century are they living in? But the “Mr Mayor” bit was beyond the pail and, to be true to myself and the people who voted for me, was unacceptable.

A short reference to the woman in Canada, who presumably left England because she wanted a better life elsewhere, what a cheek to comment on something she knows nothing about.

Hopefully a new councillor will be co-opted on as I wouldn’t imagine any Conservative or other party wants to be elected onto a council which has such a huge majority of Independents holding all the power. The only thing I am sorry for is the waste of time and the cost if an election is called, but in this case my principles were more important and many other people agreed with me on this. In fact even today another person confirmed that she thought I had done the correct thing even though she had voted for me.

JENNIFER COVILLE

Laburnum Way

St Ives