We wrote to London MPs, now tweet them too?
Without action on cycling, we know that fear of hostile and dangerous road conditions will continue to dissuade millions across the UK from cycling. The active engagement of MPs will be critical and so this week, and following the opening o the new Parliament, LCC wrote to all newly-elected and re-elected London MPs impressing on them the importance of promoting cycling as an everyday mode of transport and a key element in tackling the climate crisis.
Climate crisis: MPs asked to support action
In the letter, we reminded London MPs that although our capital has become one of the leading cities for cycling in the UK, cycling rates still lag far behind many other European cities. We also highlighted to them that in the run-up to the 2020 London Mayoral election, and beyond to the local council elections in 2022, LCC will be asking candidates to commit to decarbonising London’s roads transport system by 2030, by boosting cycling, walking and public transport, and reducing motor traffic, to help tackle the climate crisis. MPs were asked to support our campaign at launch.
We also asked MPs who have not done so to join and support the All Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling and Walking a cross-party group of MPs from both Houses who work to get “more people cycling in the UK, more often.”
MPs were also asked to support cycle and other active travel schemes in their constituency and we offered to put them in touch with their local LCC group and our campaigns team so that they can understand why these schemes have been proposed and the benefits they will bring. To help inspire them, we invited them to be in touch with Waltham Forest Cycling Campaign who regularly organise tours of the area, as well as Kingston and Enfield, also part of the mini-Holland programme.
We encourage local groups to tweet their MPs, reiterating the offer to engage with them and wishing them luck in securing more funding for walking & cycling across the UK, to tackle the climate crisis!