I REALLY don’t think I can wait a month for the next episode of the ‘Diary of Mayor Ben Houchen aged 30 and three-quarters’ (Echo, June 17).

What the first chapter lacked in insight and perspective will, I’m sure, be strengthened in subsequent months with contributions from his mayoral advisor Cameron Brown, aged 23 and a half.

Unfortunately our new mayor seems to share the same emotional and political skill-set as the beleaguered Theresa May.

His crassness in appointing James Wharton’s 23-year-old former parliamentary assistant, to a post paying £46,000, has already raised concerns about transparency, appropriate behaviour and respect for public office. Surely this must be the first agenda item for the overview and scrutiny committee?

No doubt the “dedicated and talented” team he refers to at the Tees Valley Combined Authority are, as he says, working hard.

Probably to send him on as many sightseeing trips as possible; so that they can get on with implementing the programme that was already agreed before his arrival.

I expect at some point they will arrange for him to undertake an extended tour of regional airports across Britain on a fact finding mission as part of the Mayor’s rescue plan for Durham Tees Valley Airport.

That’ll be year one sorted.

Paul McGee, Stockton