Luton has to take a bold new step

General Election Time just like New Year brings out resolutions. I often wonder, as many do, just how many resolutions made, actually reach maturity and come to fruition? Politicians make agendas, and since preparations for the contest have been going on for some time, and many thousands of leaflets have been printed; how many on these lists are already tired. Just how many are truly relevant to those the candidates purport to represent?
How many are simply trotted out to negate their opponents’ claims in the form of damage limitation, and how much is for the positive good of the Community?
Rather than harp on all the negatives, understand what they mean and then work out how it is they can be mitigated or better still, how can the trend or status be reversed and the momentum accelerated to bring about improvements. We need Change for Gain.
Undoubtedly money must be spent, but it has to be managed effectively and there has to be a positive return.
Luton is close to London, close to the M1 Motorway, it has Industry, it has a major Airport, it has two major stations, it has Business Parks, Retail Parks and a University. It also has Museums, churches and a Mosque, a Library, a Theatre and gardens. It has some thriving communities but not every area is blessed. There is also a wide cultural and ethnic diversity. It has challenges, especially with the loss of Vauxhall.
One very positive project that must be put ahead, and promptly is to ensure that communication between Luton and its lifeblood is to remove the thrombosis caused by the M1 Junction 10a roundabout where two streams collide, The artery, the link between the Spur Road and Airport Way has to be surgically removed from the veins, the local traffic, so that vital functions of the Town can flow freely in all directions, and all the vital organs can work efficiently.
The dual carriageways of the Spur Road to the M1 Junction 10 and Airport Way has to be segregated from the local traffic by the construction of a flyover above this busy roundabout so that Luton can breathe economically. This has to be the single most important project to be tackled for this area, certainly long before any expansion of the Airport which currently does not have the necessary infrastucture or organisation for the present traveller throughput. The Airport would benefit from this installation, but it has to deal with the extra fluidity this scheme offers, before it should be considered for further expansion.
Politicians take note. Build the Flyover and FAST!

Today I shall be following David Willetts as he visits the Chancellor and Students of Luton University, at Park Square, his host Les Ebdon is to give his friend a tour of the campus so he can see for himself what Luton is doing now and hopes to do in the future. These students are the future, and aspiring candidate, Nigel Huddleston is hoping that he can be the local link to the Conservative party he and David Willetts represent.
I hope to cover other Shadow Cabinet visitors to Luton in the next few weeks leading up the General Election.

Today’s Visit

It was interesting to listen to two Conservative Candidates, Jeremy Brier and Nigel Huddleston, as they met with Professors Les Ebdon and Carsten Maple, and David ‘Two Brains’ Willetts. The atmosphere was very cordial and as an outsider I saw it as exploratory from the Politicians and very much a Sales exercise from the University. I tried to keep my picture-taking mainly as a recording of the event, rather than a set of posed groups. I hope I have succeeded.