In the Luton Borough Council (LBC) elections on the 4th May, the electorate of Luton decided to re-elect a controlling Labour Council.
The 19 Wards that went to ballot, returned 27 Labour seats, plus 3 uncontested, 15 Liberal Democrats and 3 Conservatives.
On the 11th May the Labour group laid out their three key priorities for the residents of Luton.
Sadly, for those residents who bear the financial burdens, or for our planet which bears the environmental impact, it is no surprise to see that Airport Expansion is the most crucial factor. With the debts of Luton Rising well on the way to £1 billion, to see anything else would be on a par with finding The Loch Ness Monster on holiday in your garden pond.
Let us put that unsurprising announcement aside and look at the voting turnout, and see if the Labour Group, indeed all the political parties, really does have the full support of the town?
Two Wards shared the highest percentage turnout of 36.1%, the lowest turnouts were 22% and 16.5%. The average turnout over the 19 wards was 29%, 29 out of every 100 eligible voters took the time and made the effort to make their preferences known.
Why did so few residents make the choice not to vote? Is it because they could be truly apathetic about spending their time voting, when we have a Council which in their eyes doesn’t actually listen to what they want, or more importantly need?
The article reports the Council Leader hailing the “trailblazing” DART for passengers at Luton Airport. This project has taken in excess of £300 Million out of Council public funds. That public never had a say on whether they wanted that project; it was foisted on them as something to bring income to the same budgets that it has depleted. The LBC Labour group rhetoric is that the cost of DART has not come from budgets, but when the question is put, where would that money have gone if not to DART, you get the usual glass-eyed expressions and silences difficult questions always receive.
£300 Million over the 20 wards of Luton would be £15 million each; maybe if when we went in to vote, there was also the question “what would you prefer we spent your money on, Luton Airport or you?” we would have had 100% turnout?
Spend Luton’s money on Luton and Stop Luton Airport Expansion