I see that both of the parties who have been running Redbridge council for the past four years are competing with each other to propose reductions in parking charges. Is it a coincidence that we are a few months away from the local elections?

And do they think local people will not be aware of the latest RAC research showing that Redbridge made a surplus of over £4m from parking in the last year, putting it in the top 10 per cent of councils profiting from parking charges. Perhaps they are hoping we will not notice that the surplus has increased by 46 per cent during the time that they have been running the council together?

Any councillors reading this and hoping that Waltham Forest charge more will be disappointed - their surplus is barely half the size, the sixth lowest parking surplus in London.

David Lee, Wavertree Road, South Woodford