Cities Fit for Cycling - The Times

[totallyfixed]

Found it...
Ian Austin, Maria Eagle, Tessa Jowell, Kerry McCarthy, Andrew Smith, Lilian Greenwood, Susan Jones, Kate Hoey, Alison Seabeck, John Leech, Mark Lazarowicz, Ben Bradshaw, Zac Goldsmith, Sir Gerald Kaufman, Nia Griffith, Sadiq Khan, Jeremy Corbyn, Heidi Alexander, Stella Creasy, Tony Cunningham, Jim Cunningham, Karen Buck, Martin Horwood, Andrew Slaughter, Meg Hillier, Jason McCartney, Andrew George, Tom Brake, Fabien Hamilton, Guy Opperman, Julian Sturdy, Rehman Chishti, John Howell, Richard Harrington, Rob Wilson, Jack Lopresti, Mark Hunter, Sir Alan Beith, Simon Kirby, Andrew Bingham, Michael Ellis, Mike Weatherley, Sarah Woolaston, Jane Ellison, Gavin Barwell, Mark Menzies, Graham Evans, Paul Maynard, Nigel Mills, Fiona Bruce, Angie Bray, Tessa Munt, Jonathan Lord, Bob Stewart, Neil Carmichael, Andrew Selovs, Stephen Lloyd, Oliver Colville, Shailesh Vara, Sir George Young, Richard Graham, Norman Baker, Andrew Jones, Julian Huppert, Steve Brine, Robin Walker, Sir Bob Russell, Diane Abbott, Jo Swinson, Seema Malhotra, Rushinara Ali, Stephen Pound and Sheila Gimor.

My MP .....
www.jonathandjanogly.com/
Member of Parliament for Huntingdon and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice.....Did not. I can't wait to find out why he didn't.

Another posh boy, this may interest you:
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/jonathan_djanogly/huntingdon

 

[semislickstick]

Another posh boy, this may interest you:
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/jonathan_djanogly/huntingdon

He sounds delightful doesn't he? Unfortunately this area is a safe bet for the Conservatives, no idea why. I asked him to attend or sign something before(possibly the CTC 20mph limits) and got a pathetic reply along the lines of....My hands are tied as its a Labour government and I'm a Conservative, you best vote conservative next time.... So, really, I'd like to see how he side steps it this time.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

He sounds delightful doesn't he? Unfortunately this area is a safe bet for the Conservatives, no idea why. I asked him to attend or sign something before(possibly the CTC 20mph limits) and got a pathetic reply along the lines of....My hands are tied as its a Labour government and I'm a Conservative, you best vote conservative next time.... So, really, I'd like to see how he side steps it this time.

Something along the lines of "My hands are tied as its a Coalition government and I'm a Conservative, you best vote conservative next time..."

 

[dellzeqq]

isn't there a lesson here? Get involved in stuff that makes a difference, rather than run around waving your hands in the air telling us that we're all going to die. My case (cycle campaigning is dying on its derriere) rests.

 

[fimm]

isn't there a lesson here? Get involved in stuff that makes a difference...

Such as? (genuine question).

 

[Fab Foodie]

isn't there a lesson here? Get involved in stuff that makes a difference, rather than run around waving your hands in the air telling us that we're all going to die. My case (cycle campaigning is dying on its derriere) rests.

FWIW, I'm increasingly of the opinion that you are absolutely correct.

Helping to get more bums on bikes, generating confident converts is not only hugely rewarding, it's also the way to cycling salvation ....
I'm a believer.

 

[dellzeqq]

Such as? (genuine question).

and a fair one. Getting to know the way your local council works and getting specific on their asses when you see a problem. Going to really, really boring meetings (there's a few more reallys in there). Tapping up your councillor. Contributing to TfL guidance, which tends to get picked up on outside of London. And, dare I say it, running bike clubs.

I realise this is a local thing, but campaigning organisations like the LCC borough groups, Cambridge Cyclists, Bricycles (from Brighton) and so on have made a difference. I've not always been happy with that difference, but that's my problem not theirs.

What bothers me is that we're being sold emotional states masquerading as campaigns, and, for almost all of the population - either those that don't ride a bike or those that ride bikes and don't feel particularly drawn to campaigning, those emotional states are an irrelevance.

 

[fimm]

Thank you.
I do see some things that "Spokes" - which is the local campainging group - put out, and there's a local forum which I've looked at occasionally but not posted on yet. Think local, rather than worrying about all you far-away southern people...

 

[Poacher]

Ye Gods!! Kate Hoey attended? Last time I heard, she wasn't exactly on the side of cyclists.

"According to the former Sports Minister, cyclists - not car drivers - are the real menace on Britain's roads, claiming they are accountable for poor road safety and aggressive behaviour.
Dubbed lycra louts, she describes them as selfish, rude, law-breaking and infuriatingly smug."

Has she had a change of heart, or was she there to interrupt?

 

[dellzeqq]

she's got a constituency to keep hold of, and that constituency probably has more cyclists than any other, except, possibly, one or two in Oxford and Cambridge.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

isn't there a lesson here? Get involved in stuff that makes a difference, rather than run around waving your hands in the air telling us that we're all going to die. My case (cycle campaigning is dying on its derriere) rests.

But the art is in telling what, in a persons specific context, will make a difference... that can be very hard to tell, and then to do, whereas blogging/bookfacing/wittering about it is, frankly, dead easy. For me the biggest difference is that taught us by the bomb-dodgers; when people get on their bikes, in numbers, and ride, in numbers, the whole power dynamic on our streets changes in favour of cyclists.

I suspect we need to do less campaigning and more promoting of cycling as safe, fun and money saving (n+1 excepted.) on the streets as they are now.


We are all going to die btw, but I suspect for most of us arm waving and cycling with have cock all to do with it.

 

[Richard Mann]

she's got a constituency to keep hold of, and that constituency probably has more cyclists than any other, except, possibly, one or two in Oxford and Cambridge.

Nicola Blackwood (Con, Oxford West and Abingdon) wasn't there. Andrew Smith (Lab, Oxford East) was (and spoke much good sense).

 

[Fab Foodie]

Nicola Blackwood (Con, Oxford West and Abingdon) wasn't there. Andrew Smith (Lab, Oxford East) was (and spoke much good sense).

I noted Nicola's absence. I don't know where she sits on cycling, all I see from the guff coming through the doors are lots of lovely photographs of Nicola with everyman and his dog and nothing much else (come back Dr Evan all is forgiven).
Perhaps our Freewheeling group should collar her for our Spring Cycle rides festival, I'm sure there will be a photographer somewhere ....
Cynicism aside, this is an opportunity locally to make a small difference.

But I think dell and GregCollins have it right here. Lots of good assertive local action can reap benefits. I'm not a man iof letters and would probably commit suicide or murder at sitting through a council meeting, but I can get bums on seats and encourage and mentor, so that's my small but useful contribution. More cyclists and gentle infrastructure changes can and will have a major impact.

 

[dellzeqq]

blimey ol' riley - I've just googled Nicola. Need help wording the invite FF?

 

[srw]

blimey ol' riley - I've just googled Nicola. Need help wording the invite FF?

Remember - she's a Tory.