Over 22% Parliamentary candidates support CTC’s Vote Bike

By Sam Jones
Thursday, 23 April 2015
Have your candidates made their views on cycling known?
With less than two weeks till polling day, CTC is urging its members and supporters to keep up the pressure on candidates particularly those from the parties most likely to be elected.

Today (Thursday 23 April 2015) CTC the national cycling charity, published the latest results from its Vote Bike campaign.  

The results show that nearly a quarter of candidates have responded, with 22% indicating strong support for cycling (see Figure 1).

With less than two weeks till polling day, CTC is urging its members and supporters to keep up the pressure on candidates particularly those from the parties most likely to be elected.

Vote Bike aims to identify cycle allies in the new Parliament after 07 May. It enables constituents to seek their candidates’ support for five campaigning asks relating to: ambition for growth, funding, design standards, safety and positive promotion.

Only two party leaders, Nick Clegg (Sheffield, Hallam) and Natalie Bennett (Holborn and St Pancras), have pledged their support for cycling, though David Cameron’s office (Witney) has assured CTC they are considering their response with urgency.

Roger Geffen, CTC Campaigns and Policy Director said:

“Vote Bike builds on CTC’s success in persuading the last Parliament to vote for a Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy. We now need to know who our allies will be in Westminster to help push for serious investment in cycling, and for the design standards needed to ensure the funds are well spent.

I’d urge everyone who cycles, or knows someone who does, to use Vote Bike and ask their candidates where they stand.”
Roger Geffen, CTC Campaigns & Policy Director 

A total of 22,819 emails have been sent to 3,283 parliamentary candidates in 650 constituencies. So far nearly a quarter of all candidates have responded (23.4 per cent - 768), and 22.4 per cent of all candidates have come out strongly in favour of cycling (737).

All responses are made publicly available on Vote Bike and are broken down on a constituent level, where candidates’ responses are also recorded. Further breakdowns by region are also available at: www.votebike.org.uk/results

Notes to editors

  1. For further information on Vote Bike, visit the website: www.ctc.org.uk/votebike or use the online action at www.votebike.org.uk
  2. CTC, the UK’s largest cycling charity, inspires and helps people to cycle and keep cycling, whatever kind of cycling they do or would like to do. Over a century’s experience tells us that cycling is more than useful transport; it makes you feel good, gives you a sense of freedom and creates a better environment for everyone. www.ctc.org.uk
  3. The database for candidates is provided by Engaging Networks and does not include candidates from every party.
  4. The five questions asked to candidates are:
  • Ambition. Will you support measures to increase levels of cycling to 10% of trips by 2025 and 25% by 2050?                                         
  • Funding. Will you support an average government spend of at least £10 per person per year on cycling?
  • Design standards. Will you support action to create consistently high design standards for cycling in all highway and traffic schemes, new developments and planned road maintenance work?
  • Safety. Will you support measures to improve cycle safety by strengthening road traffic law and its enforcement and revising the Highway Code?
  • Positive promotion.  Will you support the positive promotion of cycling, including cycle skills training, for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities?

Press contact information

CTC Press Office
Email: [email protected] 
Telephone:  07786 320 713 

Vote Bike Elections Space for Cycling Road Justice