Anna Bailey, leader of East Cambs District Council, writes her July column.

I absolutely love polling day!  That feeling of walking to the Polling Station and being part of something bigger, something really important. Elections are the cornerstone of our democracy; the power and the right to vote should never be taken for granted. 

Running the administration of elections is the responsibility of the district councils in Cambridgeshire where there is an army of people working hard behind the scenes to make it all happen.   

I have huge admiration for the smooth running of this operation which I have witnessed many times over the years. 

The emphasis at East Cambs is not on declaring first, but is more about running the process systematically, carefully and accurately. I thank all the staff for another really well run election. 

The count was not such a happy experience for the blue team this year of course. I congratulate the Liberal Democrat candidate Charlotte Cane on her election as our new MP for Ely and East Cambridgeshire and we wish her every success from the district council in her new role.   

I would also like to pay tribute to Lucy Frazer, the outgoing MP for South East Cambridgeshire. Lucy has been a fantastic local constituency MP alongside her many roles in Government, including most recently as the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.   

Lucy was a huge friend to us in local Government and helped over the years to secure much new infrastructure for our growing area, most notably the Ely Bypass and Soham Railway Station. 

Lucy also got us designated as an Opportunity Area for education, helped to save the Minor Injuries Unit at the Princess of Wales Hospital, and secured funding for the A10 upgrade business case.  Of course she also supported thousands of residents over the years with queries and issues. 

From the district council we give our heartfelt thanks to Lucy, and all her staff, for their service to our area over the last nine years and we wish them well.