http://voleospeed.blogspot.com/2012/02/why-is-cycling-party-political-in-uk.html
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
"Why is cycling party-political in the UK?"
(22 posts)-
Posted 13 years ago #
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Interesting. Economically at least, the SNP take a very similar position to the one identified as 'Conservative' in the article.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Vole-o-speed.
Best. Blog name. Ever.
I haven't read the full article yet but it is not really very surprising. Pretty much what you would expect except that I am rather surprised to see Labour being even less supportive than the SNP.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Does anyone know which Edinburgh MPs have signed the motion?
Posted 13 years ago # -
"
Dear Reader
In 24 hours, MPs will debate The Times' Cities Fit for Cycling manifesto in Westminster - and it’s not too late for you to show your support.
More than 2,000 people have already e-mailed their MP asking them to attend, but we need more of you to contact your representative to ensure that tomorrow’s debate has real impact. Please take a minute to write to them via our campaign page http://thetimes.co.uk/cyclesafe
If you haven’t done this before, the video on the campaign page will assist you.
At 2.30pm on Thursday, you’ll be able to follow the debate here and we will be in touch on Friday to let you know how it went.
We are overwhelmed that 29,000 people have pledged their support for The Times' Cities fit for Cycling campaign and are committed to achieving our manifesto in full.
With your help and support, we hope that we can make British roads safer and more pleasurable for everyone.
James Harding
Editor of The Times"
By email
Posted 13 years ago # -
"That this House welcomes The Times campaign for cycle safety and calls for regulation to require all new bicycles to be fitted with lights at the point of sale; and encourages local authorities to promote children's cycle safety and bicycle maintenance."
What a terrible Motion!
So it's bikes that aren't safe??!!!
Posted 13 years ago # -
you're right. that is a terrible motion. let's hiope the debate is better!
Posted 13 years ago # -
Indeed. Bizarre and depressing that such a high profile campaign leads to this whimpering dirge of a motion. Perhaps media hysteria is not the way to do it, then?
Posted 13 years ago # -
Alternative list is here.
No idea why they're different, when they appear to both use the parliament.uk datafeed...
It includes Mark Lazarowicz, Lab, Edinburgh North & Leith.
My MP (Edinburgh South), Ian Murray, claimed that EDMs are just for back bencher members, by parliamentary convention, and he's now on the shadow front bench.
Robert
Posted 13 years ago # -
Also better motion "That this House believes that cycling is an extremely efficient form of transport which is good for health and the environment; supports successive governments' commitment to encourage the use of bikes and reduce the number of cyclist-related accidents; notes with concern that the number of cyclists killed on Britain's roads rose by 7 per cent. between 2009 and 2010; further notes that a disproportionate number of cycling accidents involve vans and lorries; supports The Times' Cities Fitfor Cycling campaign; and calls on the Government to take further action to improve cycling infrastructure and reduce the number of casualties on roads."
[EDit: this is text available at link Roibeard gave in previous post]
Posted 13 years ago # -
What the blogger is forgetting is that this isn't just campaign to improve cycling, it is a "Times" campaign to improve cycling. Many MPs, particularly Labour, will struggle to endorse a campaign (however worthy) by a Murdoch publication.
SNP liable to see this as an English issue and stay out.
I'm not surprised that so few Tories have signed up (particularly the home counties tory squire types)- in my experience they generally think cyclists are Richards and that anyone who doesn't drive is a loser. I think the blogger is far too generous here.
Lib Dems are liable to sign up to anything at the moment as they need all the friends they can get.
Other political interpretations are available.
Posted 13 years ago # -
"That this House welcomes The Times campaign for cycle safety and calls for regulation to require all new bicycles to be fitted with lights at the point of sale; and encourages local authorities to promote children's cycle safety and bicycle maintenance."
Words fail me...
Posted 13 years ago # -
Where's kaputnik's paint design?
To become: "There was a major media cycling campaign and all we got was this lousy motion"
Posted 13 years ago # -
@anth - which motion? We've now got two motions and two lists, with the Vole referring to the longer list and better motion
In any case, I can't watch the debate live, but hope to pick it up from the BBC feeds:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/
Robert
Posted 13 years ago # -
I made a point of Saying To Mine that the Times' stuff in the paper had sort of gone a bit off-track with all the "famous person too scared to ride on roads" sorts of thing but that the general idea of improving cyclists' safety in cities (and elsewhere) was worthy of debate, particularly amongst decision-makers. I mentioned the Bristol Bus Swipe and that the whole motor-vehicle-shoulder-barge attitude is at least as important a thing to address as infrastructure and cyclist education. Also mentioned that the last time I Wrote To Them about an Early Day Motion whoever my MP at the time was wrote back saying that an Early Day Motion wasn't an appropriate vehicle for the issue being raised and that's why he hadn't signed up.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Ah. Roibeard, I thought the second motion was one made up by SRD as a 'this is what the motion should have said' thing. I can't access the blog here.
Posted 13 years ago # -
You can find the correct motion and full list of signatories at:
http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2010-12/2689
Early Day Motions are almost never debated - they are used to highlight an issue.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Hopefully it will be attended better than Huppert's debate last year (21/01/2011):
http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/house_of_commons/newsid_9369000/9369518.stm
It's a little difficult to say, but it looks as if he spoke to about 6 MPs then!
Although his question today during Prime Minister's Questions appears to be better attended, and hopefully will be a teaser for tomorrow:
Robert
Posted 13 years ago # -
Roibeard - Tomorrow's debate is a "Westminster Hall" debate, i.e. not in the main chamber of the Commons and something of a second division affair. While the Early Day Motion is relevant the actual debate is simply "A debate on cycling".
You can watch it from 1430 tomorrow at:
http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=10088
Posted 13 years ago # -
<sigh>
I'm amazed anything ever gets done, now that I've had cause to look at the innards of our government...
Robert
Posted 13 years ago # -
Sheila Gilmore says she'll sign it but can't attend due to other commitments.
Posted 13 years ago #
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