I HAVE recently received election communications from both the Conservative and Liberal Democrat candidates for my ward and am just a little surprised. Both sets of worthies seem to have used their powers of persuasion to obtain all the good things that

I HAVE recently received election communications from both the Conservative and Liberal Democrat candidates for my ward and am just a little surprised.

Both sets of worthies seem to have used their powers of persuasion to obtain all the good things that have happened locally. As an example, their votes, it would appear, were critical in getting under way the flood relief scheme, that Offa's Dyke that snakes across Hemingford Meadow and will prevent the Vindis garage from becoming a water feature. But did anyone not wish to be saved from a watery grave? Would councillors from another party have voted it down?

They do appear to be squabbling about whether Pathfinder House should be allowed to fall down with the staff inside or whether they should spend most of the council's reserves on a posh new headquarters, which will become redundant when district councils are abolished. Though, at least that is something that they actually have control over, wheras flood relief is not actually the council's responsibility anyway.

Neither lot has much to say about the guided bus. Could this be because this does not meet with universal approval so wholehearted support or opposition could be a vote-loser?

Or, getting into more malodorous subjects, they have not mentioned the concern of many residents that wheelie bins filled with household food waste are not a desirable feature of gardens in the summer when they are collected only once every two weeks (though the flies seem to approve).

They do not seem to have sorted out a sensible approach to the use of the new pensioners' bus travel pass for travel to Cambridge.

And finally, neither party has anything to say about the fact that, according to police notices, the East Ward of St Ives is a crime hotspot. Anything left in our cars will be nicked by villains smartish. I don't think a community officer taking car numbers as they drive over St Ives bridge is quite the answer.

DAVE NELSON, TheWhistlers, St Ives