Manifesto launch -- read it now, have your say

This Saturday I launched my manifesto on George Street -- in front of the ABC cinema that is a symbol of the potential we have and the change we need in Luton -- and at the same spot that I was mugged as a young teenager.

In the spirit of my campaign, my team and I were out asking people for their say on what to do with the ABC.  The people of Luton have no shortage of great ideas!  A few of the suggestions:  a theatre, late-night cafe, live music venue, youth club, dance studio, tea rooms, Luton Town Football Club museum.  One of my key ambitions is to transform derelict buildings like this into places for the community, just one way I want to help bring the town together.

My manifesto is a combination of my beliefs and your good ideas.  And there's still a chance for you to have a say.  I'm the only independent candidate in Luton South with a proper manifesto so you can see what I stand for -- and it's the only manifesto of any candidate where you also get a say and can help me improve it.

See the manifesto here.  Email me at Joe@JoeHallforLuton.com or join the discussion at www.facebook.com/JoeHallforLuton and be part of Luton's future.

"Luton is life. There are..."

Last week the BBC interviewed me for a piece on the importance of local independent candidates in this election. Missed it? Watch at http://bit.ly/akFyHI It's looking more and more likely there will be a small majority in Parliament after this election.  Your MP's individual vote could really make a difference.  I'm local, independent and as your MP I'll vote for Luton every time.

Hi and I hope you're well.

"Luton is life.  There are so many good things happening here."  

Those were the words I heard from a lady yesterday as I visited a local community group.  Every week I meet more and more local people who are passionate about our town and positive about the rich mix of people we have here.  I believe together we have what it takes to take charge of our future and make the change we want to see in Luton.

Over the past few weeks I've been working with students at Ashcroft and Stopsley High Schools (I've written to other schools in every area of Luton South too) to find out what local issues concern our young people -- and make a practical difference.  Better public transport, the environment and safer streets all come up often, more activities for young people too.  Now I'm working with them to get the changes happening.  I really believe each of us can make a difference to our local area.  And we must invest more -- much more -- in education and positive activities for young people.  We need motivated, ambitious, well educated young people who will be the long-term change in Luton.

We need jobs in Luton and I've been looking for more ways to create jobs locally.  I was struck by a recent awards ceremony for apprentices -- the young people there were amongst the most positive of any I've met.  We should be extending this kind of scheme, but a lot of it comes down to the nitty-gritty of how it's done -- talking to someone from the National Apprenticeships Scheme and a local small business owner, both said it wasn't as easy for businesses to get involved in apprenticeships and internships as it should be.  I could really see the need for a local MP living in Luton, at a time when we need to get these initiatives really right and make sure government ideas really work on the ground in Luton.  We need schemes and job centres -- but we have to think a lot wider and get really creative.  I'm meeting with local Mums soon who are supporting each other to start and run their own small businesses, to see how they're doing it.

The big cuts that all the political parties are discussing could have a direct impact on us in Luton (including the Council's great apprenticeships scheme I was talking about above -- as a number of jobs are being cut or outsourced).  I'm supporting the public services we need in Luton to support our community -- and to help drive demand for our businesses here too.  I recently visited the L&D and I met with the chair of our local NHS Primary Care Trust to hear about their vision for bringing health care out into the community in the coming years.  There's a lot more we can be doing to get the best value from our services.  Too often the conversation politicians have is about money -- we have to think about people, local people, first and foremost.  That's my focus.

What's next in the campaign?

Tomorrow night is the first debate involving all of the Luton South candidates, at 7.30pm at St Mary's Church in town.  It's about climate change and what it means for Luton.  Find out more at http://www.transitionluton.org/events/2010/02/25/ and do come along if you can make it.

More news coming soon.  In the meantime, if you're interested in getting involved or have any questions for me on my policies, as ever please do drop me a line.  Join me on Facebook or Twitter to keep up to date and see what's really happening with the campaign.

Kind regards,

Joe

Harmony in Luton and the other kind of grit

It's been a busy start to the year. With the help of my growing team of volunteers, we've been doing a major leafleting campaign to reach thousands of people in Luton South (interested in volunteering? please email me joe@joehallforluton.com).  I'm updating my campaign materials soon to reflect the work I've been doing on my manifesto -- more on this in the next few weeks.

The biggest news -- snow and grit aside -- has been the trial of the small group of Islamic extremists who disrupted the Royal Anglian Regiment's homecoming parade last year.  With sensational quotes after they were convicted for public order offences, they've been trying hard to scare and divide us.  But we can see through the inflammatory words: they speak for no-one but themselves. We, the rest of us (whatever religion we happen to be, or none at all) want to get on with our lives in peace.

That's why I was really glad to take part in the launch of Luton in Harmony on Friday, a new initiative to celebrate how tolerant and how united Lutonians are. I think we need to make much more of how well we mix together most of the time in Luton.  We should give ourselves more credit and remind ourselves -- and the rest of Britain -- that by and large it just works.

That's not to say life is rosy.  We haven't got everything figured out and there are plenty of challenges.  But that's the point: when there are problems we sort them out peacefully together.  Most of the time it's a great thing.  I think it makes life much more interesting and we should be very, very proud of having such a diverse town.  Even though there's so much more we need to do in Luton, the fact that there are people from different cultures and backgrounds in Luton isn't the big issue it can seem in the national media.  (There are plenty of other issues I believe we need to solve -- more to come in future blog posts.)

Of course the easy part is launching an initiative.  The harder job is making it real, keeping it going and really getting people involved. I've started doing my part and getting some of my supporters and local businesses on-board.  Please do the same: you can find out more at www.luton.gov.uk/harmony.

It's been a challenging past couple of weeks for the many local people affected by the snow  (and more is forecast).  It brought it home to me visiting a street of sheltered housing for older people and helping get some action to have their street gritted.  The Council workers I spoke to were working very hard to help with an enormous task and too few supplies.

But we're also going to need another kind of grit.  Luton's image won't change overnight and I doubt the extremists, few though they are, will just go away.  We'll need a very human kind of grit and determination to make the aim of Luton in Harmony real, to stay focussed on working together, to keep building our town positively together.  Luckily I think we have this kind in plenty.  We could make this a really good year for Luton.

Back to the hard work of the campaign.  Please get in touch if you have questions or would like to get involved joe@joehallforluton.com

Happy New Year! Are you interested in volunteering?

Happy New Year to you, I hope you had a good break.

Nationally, the political parties are gearing up their election campaigns as we look towards a probable late March or early May election (come on Gordon, tell us when it will be).

Locally, many people are still fed up with politicians and I'm concerned that many people in our community simply won't vote at the coming election.  I believe we need to regain people's trust and forge a new kind of politics that's honest and genuinely connected with local people.  That's why I've got back out on Luton's streets this week to engage with as many people as possible.

Are you interested in volunteering to help me on the campaign?  The main things I need help with are knocking on doors and delivering leaflets with me.  Speaking to people on doorsteps is one of the most interesting ways to spend a day or an evening (don't worry, I do the talking!) -- meeting local people from all walks of life, discussing every issue under the sun.  If you think you might be interested or would like to know more, please email me at joe@joehallforluton.com.

Keep enjoying the New Year -- more soon.

Joe

Merry Christmas -- and a Happy New Decade!

Hello,

Just a quick note to wish you a great Christmas and Happy New Year.  

I'm taking a little break over Christmas but not everything can stop: I'm still meeting with some local constituents, but my main goal is to draft my manifesto.  Thank you for everything you have contributed to it: I've learnt a lot from listening to local people, hearing your views and bringing them together with my own ideas and beliefs.  I look forward to sharing it with you in January.  I'm looking forward to the beginning of 2010 -- it's going to be really busy on the campaign!

At this time of year, as well as celebrating, some of my thoughts inevitably turn to those who have less or are living in difficult situations.  Having volunteered at a Luton homeless centre over Christmas before, I've met a few of the people who find this time of year a lot tougher.  Boxing Day five years ago will be etched in my mind forever: I was two weeks into my new job at Save the Children (which at the time was coordinating worldwide communications in disasters) when the tsunami hit Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and beyond.  Christmas and New Year turned into working round the clock to get information out about what was happening, raise urgently needed funds, and help tens of thousands of families.

I'm looking forward to a calmer end to this year.  I wish you and your family a great break.  Looking forward to the new decade : a time for some new ideas I think.

Best wishes,

Joe

From today's Luton & Dunstable Express

Apology

The team was Luton United Football Club, not Luton Allstars as the article said.  Please would both teams accept my apologies.  The mistake was mine.

I wish the two teams well and thanks again to Luton United.

Something important happened last night

It's been a little while since I blogged -- a testament to being busy with the campaign.  More coming more regularly from now on, I promise.  (And in case you missed it, you can compare Esther and me side by side in Discover Bedfordshire magazine -- pages 10-12.)

Something important happened last night involving people from across Luton (not this incident which was a few people representing no-one but themselves).  I joined around 300 people coming together to find community solutions to reducing crime.  As I've been out meeting local people on the doorsteps recently, I've heard how crime is a big concern for Lutonians -- particularly anti-social behaviour.  And I know from personal experience what an impact crime can have on you (I was mugged as a teenager in Luton).

What was good about last night was the involvement of local people who put forward their views in a frank give and take with the police, the Council and other representatives from public services (the discussion on my table was still in full swing after the event had finished!).  Strong themes came out from people around the room -- a desire to have more high-visibility local police officers, to have greater accountability from the police and the Council, and a real will to come together in Luton: every community, neighbours and across the town, young people and old.

It was very thought-provoking as I build my policies and my Plan for Luton which will be ready in the New Year.

Every day out meeting local people is thought-provoking -- on the doorsteps any issue under the sun can come up.  A number of people I've met recently have wanted to talk to me about immigration.  Most say -- and I believe it as I speak to them -- "I'm not racist".  And most like living in a diverse town, but they do have concerns about immigration and the size of Britain's population (living in Luton we are in one of the most densely populated towns in the country).  But they feel that the political parties simply have no interest in listening to their concerns.  I'm listening to them, trying to see things from their point of view, and find answers.

The irony that many outside Luton don't realise is that some of the best work anywhere to unite diverse communities is happening here.  Over the past few months I've been to as many of the many great events as possible: from concerts of a dozen cultures in One World week to an international Community Kitchen this week with students (I'm cooking the traditional British food!) to bingo with folks at the Irish Forum to the launch of the Luton Faith Map -- and more.

Great things are happening in Luton and I strongly believe Britain has a lot to learn from Luton.  But I can't help thinking that too often systems work against communities coming together.  When people feel they're competing for their slice of a small pie in a time of recession.  When too many people in Luton are fighting for scarce social housing.  When the main political parties are vying to make the most "savage" cuts that would stop our many brilliant public service workers from helping knit Luton together and improve our town further.  That's when I feel we really need an independent voice fighting for Luton and our future.

More updates soon.  Thanks for staying up to date with the campaign.  If someone you know would like to be added to my email list, if you have any questions or comments, or to take yourself off the list, please email me at joe@joehallforluton.com