The following is taken from the CTC website, it could help give some insight into where we stand and what we can expect from the next administration, whatever colour it may be.

As the General Election approaches, CTC has joined up with London Cycling Campaign (LCC) and the Cycle Campaign Network (CCN, which brings together local cycle campaigning groups from around Britain to launch a Cyclists’ Manifesto. The Manifesto’s 5 key objectives are each supported by 2 specific proposals, make up the 10 Actions which they believe are needed to revitalise the National Cycling Strategy. CTC, LCC and CCN will be pressing for delivery of these 10 Actions during the lifetime of the new parliament.

The 5 key objectives are:
1. Better cycling conditions
2. Better funding for cycle training and promotion
3. Better traffic laws and policing
4. Better integration of cycling and wider transport objectives
5. Better integration of cycling across all areas of Government

The CTC are now calling on their members and supporters to help enlist support for the Manifesto’s 10 Actions from MPs and other key candidates in your constituency. And, with the Election date now set for May 5th, we encourage you to get in there quickly!

The CTC would like you to join the “Lobbying Ground Force”  This has come about after a recent membership survey, 3000 CTC members said they would be keen to do some volunteering for CTC. 

Basically you can get help with information on how to contact your MP and how to ask the right sort of questions (there is a questionaire to help with this). Go to the CTC website and follow the instructions.

Once you have decided you would like to volunteer for the CTC “lobbying ground force”, please contact Adam Coffman (tel 01483 520759), to let him know who you are, and which constituency you are volunteering for.  He will want to know your name, address, any contact phone numbers (and whether these are home, work or mobile numbers) and e-mail address(es), and whether you are happy for these contact details to be given out to anyone else who volunteers for the same constituency.  If you are a member of CTC or LCC, please also give your membership number; if you are a member of a CCN group, please state which one.

There are also suggestions for writing press releases and contacting your local media. Is there any point to all this? Yes, of course, if we are to raise the profile of cycling on a daily basis it has to start somewhere.

If you want to get involved e-mail CTC or call 0870 873 0060 for paper copies of the details.