Politics? On yer bike!

Next Monday a group of (mainly) upper-middle class white men in their late 60s will haul their well fed bulks into a room and try shape the future of cycling policy in the UK. Yes, Monday 2nd September Parliament will debate whether it will support the content of the APPCG's 'Get Britain Cycling' report.
The report - as previously blogged about here - sets target of getting 25 per cent of all journeys undertaken in the UK completed on bikes by 2050 - the year rather than ten to nine.
So what happens when the debate receives resounding backing of Parliament? Are we then freewheeling toward a cycling utopia in the next 35 years?
Well, my prediction is that we're not, no.

There debate will happen and people will say things about cycling and how its great. Patrick McLoughlin will then explain how much funding the government is putting into cycling and how that'll deliver a step change in cycling provision in the country for generations to come. If he actually uses these words I win £5.
In reality, there wont be any more money and the battle is still very much on to reach this conservative target.
So, keep fighting comrades, the roads are ours to shape!

Cycling makes it onto the agenda at Manchester's Labour Party conference

Tis that time of year again when Our Glorious Leaders and opposition parties move their freakshows en masse to some convention centre or other for a week of polished speeches and reasoned debate on the fringes.  Yes, it's party conference season again.
Manchester has done pretty well out of these things in the past few years - the Tories even came here last year which is odd given they have zero councillors and zero MPs.
Usually, the only real effect a party conference at G-Mex, sorry, Manchester Central, has on cycling is that Lower Mosley Street and Windmill Street are shut meaning you have a detour if you usually use that route.

New street furniture offers freestyle opportunities

But, yesterday, Maria Eagle, shadow transport secretary and MP for the good and bad constituency of Garston and Halewood [actually that should be bad and good], actually put cycling and, specifically, cycling safety into her conference speech.
For me this can only a good thing: while cycling was not exactly at the heart of an emerging transport plan, the fact that the cycling lobby has made enough noise to get onto the agenda demonstrates the direction of travel cycling and cycling issues has made in political terms.
The Tories are at it next week in Brum and I for one will be looking at what Patrick McLoughlin might say about cycling and cycling safety.

New DfT minister is...

MP for Derbyshire Dales Patrick McLoughlin is the new department for Transport minister following Justine Greening getting the bullet
This is the bloke who is now in charge of cycling policy - you can read more about him here.

A what? A bicycle you say?

Let's give him an opportunity to show leadership and enlightened approach to transport matters including cycling.  Here's hoping...