Never mind the political infighting about Universal’s UK theme park: let’s focus on what really matters.
YES – after years of speculation, US film studio Universal will be opening its first European theme park in the UK, and it will be in Bedfordshire.
This is an extraordinary moment for the country – not just in terms of tourism, but for long-term job creation, regional growth, and our global cultural standing.
The numbers speak volumes: 28,000 new jobs during construction, 8.5 million annual visitors projected, and a potential GDP boost of up to £3 billion a year. These are not small wins. They are generational shifts in economic opportunity.
Buy Cruel Britannia in print here. Buy the Cruel Britannia ebook here. Or just click on the image!
Bedford, a place previously off the main track of international tourism, is now poised to become a global destination.
Yet the early coverage has already begun to splinter.
Is Harry Potter going to be included?
Will James Bond make an appearance?
Who gets the political credit—the Conservatives who may have started the process, or Labour who helped close the deal?
These questions are valid, but they should not overshadow the bigger picture.
Whether or not Bond ends up on a rollercoaster is a footnote. The heart of this story is that the UK is attracting serious international investment, delivering long-term benefits to local communities, and proving it can still think big.
What does deserve scrutiny is the environmental impact.
A development of this scale must be done right. Thoughtful planning, local engagement, and green infrastructure will be essential.
Transport, too, needs careful handling—especially as the nearby Luton Airport faces scrutiny over expansion and carbon emissions. But environmental concerns should be a call to do better, not a reason to do nothing.
This is the kind of project that should bring the country together: imaginative, future-facing, and deeply optimistic.
Let’s celebrate that for what it is.
And then let’s make sure it’s done right.
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Cruel Britannia is available
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The Livingstone Presumption is available
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The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
Universal’s UK theme park: let’s focus on what really matters
Never mind the political infighting about Universal’s UK theme park: let’s focus on what really matters.
YES – after years of speculation, US film studio Universal will be opening its first European theme park in the UK, and it will be in Bedfordshire.
This is an extraordinary moment for the country – not just in terms of tourism, but for long-term job creation, regional growth, and our global cultural standing.
The numbers speak volumes: 28,000 new jobs during construction, 8.5 million annual visitors projected, and a potential GDP boost of up to £3 billion a year. These are not small wins. They are generational shifts in economic opportunity.
Buy Cruel Britannia in print here. Buy the Cruel Britannia ebook here. Or just click on the image!
Bedford, a place previously off the main track of international tourism, is now poised to become a global destination.
Yet the early coverage has already begun to splinter.
Is Harry Potter going to be included?
Will James Bond make an appearance?
Who gets the political credit—the Conservatives who may have started the process, or Labour who helped close the deal?
These questions are valid, but they should not overshadow the bigger picture.
Whether or not Bond ends up on a rollercoaster is a footnote. The heart of this story is that the UK is attracting serious international investment, delivering long-term benefits to local communities, and proving it can still think big.
What does deserve scrutiny is the environmental impact.
A development of this scale must be done right. Thoughtful planning, local engagement, and green infrastructure will be essential.
Transport, too, needs careful handling—especially as the nearby Luton Airport faces scrutiny over expansion and carbon emissions. But environmental concerns should be a call to do better, not a reason to do nothing.
This is the kind of project that should bring the country together: imaginative, future-facing, and deeply optimistic.
Let’s celebrate that for what it is.
And then let’s make sure it’s done right.
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Be among the first to know what’s going on! Here are the ways to manage it:
1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (bottom right of the home page). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.
2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical
3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com
5) Follow Vox Political writer Mike Sivier on BlueSky
6) Join the MeWe page at https://mewe.com/p-front/voxpolitical
7) Feel free to comment!
And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
Cruel Britannia is available
in either print or eBook format here:
The Livingstone Presumption is available
in either print or eBook format here:
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
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