Alex Mayer Column: Happy Easter

Alex Mayer MP with Cllr Matt Brennan looking at potholes in Aldbanks, Dunstable

Monthly column by Alex Mayer, MP for Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard constituency

This Easter many people will be enjoying time with friends and family – including at some great local attractions.

Whether it’s a ride on the historic Leighton Buzzard Railway, a trip to Whipsnade Zoo, family fun at Mead Open Farm’s circus-themed festivities, or a springtime walk across the Dunstable Downs, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

Churches will be marking the season with Easter services and if you’re at All Saints in Leighton Buzzard it’s also a chance to check out their historic Easter themed carving of a Simnel cake.

Easter also means eggs - chocolate and otherwise! So it’s a good time to spare a thought for the real hen heroes behind our breakfasts.

Nearly one in five UK eggs still come from hens stuck in cages. When battery cages were banned, so-called “enriched” cages came in. Yes, they offer a perch and a scratch pad – but let’s be honest: calling them “enriched” makes them sound like a hen’s yoga retreat. “Confinement cages” would be closer to the truth. Each bird gets about as much space as the size of an Easter egg. They’re unable to flap their wings or stretch.

As a long-standing animal welfare campaigner, I recently spoke out in Parliament on how we should phase out cages and stop lower welfare imports. But in the meantime, if you’re planning a soft-boiled treat, do check the code stamped on the shell. If it starts with a 3, that means caged. Let’s all vote with our feet – and our forks – to make sure every hen gets a fairer crack at life.

And on the subject of things that crack: roads full of potholes. The Labour Government is making nearly £9.7 million available to Central Bedfordshire Council to fix local roads. That is up by 39.7% on last year. However I am very concerned that the Council put on record that due to the extra money on offer they plan to proportionately reduce their contribution to fixing the roads. That’s really not good enough and I fear this kind of attitude could put funding at risk.

Easter is a time of hope and renewal. As families and friends come together, let’s keep striving for a fairer, kinder and stronger society.