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'How cyclists should vote'

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  1. chdot
    Admin

    Just noticed this site -

    http://www.londonersonbikes.org.uk

    "
    We want Londoners to be safe on bikes.

    On 3 May we elect the head of Transport for London. The title is Mayor, but the job is transport.

    “On 3 May, I will vote for the mayoral candidate who will do the most to make Londoners safe on bikes.”

    "

    Interesting idea.

    I'm sure something similar would happen if there was a similar vote in Edinburgh for one key post.

    Slightly more difficult with the coming council elections where there will be more like 100 candidates.

    BUT

    I wonder if 'single issue considerations' are a good thing for any elections.

    There was a time when it was easy to assume that 'most people' who supported a particular party were more likely to be cyclists, motorist, in favour of sending children up chimneys etc.

    This is clearly no longer true (if it ever was). Two of London's highest profile Conservatives ride bikes - Labour's Ken doesn't (says he can't balance...)

    In Edinburgh all parties have councillors who ride bicycles.

    There's a non car owning SNP MSP who 'walks everywhere'.

    Cycling isn't the only issue that affects the voters (and non voters) of Edinburgh. I think it's perfectly reasonable to expect/call for more consideration/money for people who choose to ride bikes especially as a way to encourage more people to ride.

    I'm sure most of 'us' want the ASL boxes to be even fuller of bicycles (even if some of them don't quite have the correct etiquette - various threads!)

    Generally 'cycling' has been/is better organised than pedestrians, bus or even train users. Obviously not as entrenched as the motoring/roads lobbies which are so well established that they are 'normal'. Fortunately the main ones recognise that driving in urban areas shouldn't really be encouraged anymore...

    Such success has a backlash. This is visible in the comment columns of newspapers - and is hopefully a nasty minority rather than the 'vocal tip of the iceberg'. There may or may not be more driver whose grudges are emerging as "punishment passes" etc.

    I'm sure we all want the "motherhood and apple pie" aims of nicer places to walk, cycle etc., less hostile roads (by design and users' attitudes) - things which should be key aims of politicians of all parties, but seldom seem to be in practice!


    Posted 13 years ago #

  2. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    I can see how this can work with the London Mayor elections - as the quote says the job is really about transport (and a few other things, but the one that gets all the hype seems to be transport - congestion charge; Boris bikes; etc).

    In Council elections I might be swayed by policies which are cycle friendly, but if they have policies on other issues that conflict completely with how I feel and what I think then I probably won't be moved by that one single issue that makes life slightly more bearable for me.

    All hypothetical anyway, I reckon, since all parties will simply trot out the party line on 'wanting to improve provision for cycling and walking' without going into any details at all.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  3. wingpig
    Member

    In the most recent election's manifestoes there was some variation in the weight of wording, from the almost-decisive "we will increase funding for" sort of statement to the somewhat less definite "we will endeavour to seek to discuss opportunities to attempt to implement a strategy to acquire additional routes for seeking funding for" get-it-on-the-manifesto-as-non-committally-as-possible. For the council elections, with there only being one city to bother with, there might hopefully be some specifics in the pledges.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  4. Dave
    Member

    Funnily enough I was thinking about this just yesterday - the amount of influence Spokes could potentially wield by recommending specific candidates in the Edinburgh area.

    To take the majorities from the recent Scottish elections:

    Edinburgh central : 237
    Edinburgh north: 590
    Edinburgh south: 693

    I couldn't find the council ones easily, probably the margins are pretty slim there too?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  5. Dave
    Member

    And to respond to Anth - the point isn't really that people would all vote Labour (or whatever) if they had the cycling recommendation. Most (probably a large majority) will vote however their parents voted whatever's going on, if you ask me!

    Still, when margins are slim, it would be pretty annoying if 119 people were swayed and the seat went the other way. That's only twice the number I pass on my ride home on a couple of specific streets...

    Posted 13 years ago #

  6. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    No I know, I wasn't really saying that everyone would vote Labour if they had a cycling recommendation, more that I don't think people should/would. I was kind of using myself as an everyman example, and seeing a difference between a mayoral vote and a council election where I think single issue considerations may be worth being swayed by (mayoral), compared to situations where we shouldn't be swayed (council) and probably aren't (for the 'historic and familial voting' you mentioned).

    Posted 13 years ago #

  7. crowriver
    Member

    The council elections use a proportional system, so it's not a simple first past the post like the Westminster or Holyrood constituencies (which latter are made proportional by regional lists). For each ward you have several councillors.

    So basically the more people vote for a particular party in a ward, the more councillors they should get. Also lots of folk tend to vote the same way each time, but if they are not happy with their incumbent party, may stay at home instead of voting. The lower the turnout, the smaller the number of votes required to tip the balance. Turnout has been pretty low of late, which gives smaller parties more of a chance.

    So while there may be some opportunities to vote tactically in a given ward, it's probably simpler to vote for the party you think best represents your interests: they may well get a councillor or several.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  8. Dave
    Member

    Drifting a little, but I personally feel that there are no political parties which represent me at all. My general approach when it comes to election time is to choose the candidate most likely to defeat the incumbent, regardless of party lines.

    I'd consider a single-issue vote in any election to be a better use of my vote than that, you see :)

    If PR dilutes the effect of the tiny swing vote I suppose it's something (in general terms) to be thankful for!

    Posted 13 years ago #

  9. cc
    Member

    @Dave - you must find the council elections a bit of a challenge then, with each area having several incumbents from different parties!

    Me, I'd vote Green first as I think I can trust them to be enthusiastically pro-cycling. I'd add preferences for other parties too if I thought I could trust them to carry on pushing for better cycling conditions after they were elected. But I don't know if I can.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  10. sallyhinch
    Member

    Newcastle Cycling Campaign seem to have made a lot of progress simply by asking candidates to sign up to their cycling manifesto. Even if it didn't sway the vote, it got the candidates thinking it mattered...

    Posted 13 years ago #

  11. chdot
    Admin

    "Newcastle Cycling Campaign seem to have made a lot of progress simply by asking candidates to sign up to their cycling manifesto."

    Spokes has one. I assume candidates will be asked to sign-up too.

    http://www.spokes.org.uk/wordpress/2012/01/council-elections-3-may-2012

    Posted 13 years ago #

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