Lib Dem Friends of Cycling
Lib Dem Friends of Cycling: Who are they and how to join?
The newest group advocating for cycling and green active travel to be more inclusive, safer and widespread. Join them today!
By Richard Shaw and Andy Drummond
Lib Dem Friends of Cycling is an informal group of party members, from armchair members to seasoned campaigners and elected politicians, who share a desire for the UK to be a safer and more friendly place for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to get around by bike.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, cycling was seen as a radical, liberating mode of transport for women, who gained greater independence without relying upon, or being chaperoned by, male relatives. Increased road danger from motor vehicles and car-centric planning and social attitudes over the years changed this dramatically and these days cycling in the UK is overwhelmingly “young, male and pale”.
We aim to promote policies and campaigns for safe and inclusive cycling infrastructure for all people who ride bikes, regardless of whether they ride “standard” bicycles, specially adapted bikes, cargo bikes, push bikes or e-bikes, and offer a place to discuss and promote Lib Dem policies in relation to cycling and other forms of active travel, share campaign materials and promote best practice. We support not just leisure cycling but also cycling as transport for work, education, shopping and other everyday activities.
We believe that the Lib Dems should be the natural party of active travel: If Liberalism is about freedom, community and opportunity, then we should be the party of promoting freedom from transport poverty and car dependence to make everyday journeys, with the environmental and health benefits this brings. We should give the next generation the opportunities that our parents enjoyed to be able to safely walk or cycle to school, play out with friends and travel to their local park – or even further – unaccompanied.
If you would like to know more, join us at libdemcycling.org.uk and follow us on Twitter at @LiberalCycling