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Liz Truss "looking forward to working with cycling community" and will build new infrastructure, supporters claim

What would Liz Truss as PM look like for cyclists?

Strong favourite to succeed Boris Johnson as the next leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister, Liz Truss, supports building new cycling infrastructure and is "looking forward to working with the cycling community to improve access and promote their interests", her supporters have claimed.

Responding to questions from the Conservative Friends of Cycling, the team of the current Foreign Secretary told the group cycling infrastructure was part of her commitment to improve transport, and cycling as a form of transport "should continue to be promoted".

> Sustrans: Next Prime Minister must commit to long-term active travel funding

The group wrote to Truss, as well as Tory leadership rival and former Chancellor Rishi Sunak, to ask their views on cycling, putting the following four questions to them:

Do you support the Government's 'Gear Change' policy and policy objective that 50 per cent of all journeys in towns and cities should be walked or cycled by 2030?

 What measures would you support to promote modal shift towards cycling and walking?

What personal experience do you have of cycling?

Will you continue to support Active Travel England?

In response, Truss's team said: "Good transport links are central to Liz's plans to turbocharge the economy and unleash the potential of the private sector — we need to better connect every part of the UK to deliver this goal. That is why Liz has committed to build the infrastructure this country needs, and this includes infrastructure for cycling.

"This will help to get our country growing again — ensuring people can access good jobs, good schools, and good high streets wherever they live.

"Upgrading local transport links in cities and communities will connect people to the places they want to be. We will deliver more frequent and better integrated transport links in the places that need it most — employing the latest technology to make it easier to move across all modes of transport, ensuring people are not limited [in] how they want to travel by the places they live. 

"We have seen the growth of cycling in our cities and towns — and cycling as a healthy method of transport should continue to be promoted. Liz is committed to levelling up in our transport sector, working to create an environment that promotes cycling and ensures it can continue to be a huge part of our society.

"I know Liz is looking forward to working with the cycling community to improve access to cycling and promote their interests."

Rishi Sunak official portrait

> Rishi Sunak "an avid supporter of cycling" claim his supporters

In response to the same questions, Sunak's team described Truss's rival as "an avid supporter of cycling" just a week after being dubbed the "most pro-driver chancellor in history" by the same people.

Thoughts? Do you believe either candidate, or is it all just campaign talk? Let us know in the comments, on Facebook or at info [at] road.cc...

Dan is the road.cc news editor and joined in 2020 having previously written about nearly every other sport under the sun for the Express, and the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for The Non-League Paper. Dan has been at road.cc for four years and mainly writes news and tech articles as well as the occasional feature. He has hopefully kept you entertained on the live blog too.

Never fast enough to take things on the bike too seriously, when he's not working you'll find him exploring the south of England by two wheels at a leisurely weekend pace, or enjoying his favourite Scottish roads when visiting family. Sometimes he'll even load up the bags and ride up the whole way, he's a bit strange like that.

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30 comments

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Car Delenda Est | 2 years ago
1 like

I have to say I'm hoping Truss wins. Not because I believe her but simply because paying lip service to cycling keeps it relevant and increases the chance of rival parties treating it with more importance.

Update: I went to the Conservative Friends of Cycling blog and saw that Sunak had given a much longer response not included in the article. So actually both candidates have given fully fledged non-commital responses..

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eburtthebike replied to Car Delenda Est | 2 years ago
2 likes

Car Delenda Est wrote:

I have to say I'm hoping Truss wins.

With those two candidates, I hope neither wins.

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ShutTheFrontDawes replied to eburtthebike | 2 years ago
4 likes

It is very telling that in the first You Gov poll of Tory party members when asked which candidate they would like to win 'none of the above' came in joint second.
https://mobile.twitter.com/RobertScammell/status/1545708138288091136

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Jenova20 replied to ShutTheFrontDawes | 2 years ago
1 like

ShutTheFrontDawes wrote:

It is very telling that in the first You Gov poll of Tory party members when asked which candidate they would like to win 'none of the above' came in joint second. https://mobile.twitter.com/RobertScammell/status/1545708138288091136

There's been a few polls showing Boris could still win if added to the contest. MPs want rid of him, but it seems the voters still want him in charge.

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brooksby replied to Jenova20 | 2 years ago
1 like

Jenova20 wrote:

ShutTheFrontDawes wrote:

It is very telling that in the first You Gov poll of Tory party members when asked which candidate they would like to win 'none of the above' came in joint second. https://mobile.twitter.com/RobertScammell/status/1545708138288091136

There's been a few polls showing Boris could still win if added to the contest. MPs want rid of him, but it seems the voters still want him in charge.

The MPs only wanted rid of him because some of his sh!t was beginning to rub off on all of them and they were afraid of losing their own seats...

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Sniffer replied to Jenova20 | 2 years ago
2 likes

Jenova20 wrote:

ShutTheFrontDawes wrote:

It is very telling that in the first You Gov poll of Tory party members when asked which candidate they would like to win 'none of the above' came in joint second. https://mobile.twitter.com/RobertScammell/status/1545708138288091136

There's been a few polls showing Boris could still win if added to the contest. MPs want rid of him, but it seems the voters Conservative Party Members may still want him in charge.

I doubt the voters voters of the UK want him according to his personal poll ratings.

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OldRidgeback replied to eburtthebike | 2 years ago
3 likes

eburtthebike wrote:

Car Delenda Est wrote:

I have to say I'm hoping Truss wins.

With those two candidates, I hope neither wins.

Someone i know described the choice being similar to having the option between constipation or diarrhoea. 

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brooksby replied to OldRidgeback | 2 years ago
0 likes

OldRidgeback wrote:

eburtthebike wrote:

Car Delenda Est wrote:

I have to say I'm hoping Truss wins.

With those two candidates, I hope neither wins.

Someone i know described the choice being similar to having the option between constipation or diarrhoea. 

Or Ebola vs Marburg.

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Jenova20 replied to Car Delenda Est | 2 years ago
0 likes

Car Delenda Est wrote:

I have to say I'm hoping Truss wins. Not because I believe her but simply because paying lip service to cycling keeps it relevant and increases the chance of rival parties treating it with more importance.

This is likely why Sunak has had to straddle the line between appeasing motorists AND cyclists so soon after trying to appeal to the motorist lobby.

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Hirsute | 2 years ago
14 likes

More meaningless bollocks from someone who will say anything they think the audience wants to hear.
Then they will later claim they were misunderstood or misrepresented.

Still what faith can you have in someone who says sinn fein are trying to drive a wedge between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. And says it with a straight face.

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mattw replied to Hirsute | 2 years ago
7 likes

I think the Sinn Fein comment comes under "no shit, Sherlock", along with "water is wet".

Personally I'd put the Macron 'will judge him on what he does' comment in the same category.

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Hirsute replied to mattw | 2 years ago
7 likes
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NOtotheEU replied to Hirsute | 2 years ago
4 likes

hirsute wrote:

This made me laugh for a bit https://newsthump.com/2022/08/26/rishi-sunak-fk-it-make-me-pm-and-ill-in...

"Berlin by Christmas" . . . He's got my vote! 

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Marin92 replied to Hirsute | 2 years ago
1 like

So she's got the measure of Sinn Fein, maybe she can be trusted then

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OldRidgeback replied to Hirsute | 2 years ago
1 like

Yes, she's just trying to get a bit more support. Later on she'll forget this and will spend a few million having the DfT research whether it'd be a source of revenue to force cyclists to have numberplates to make up for her tax cuts to the rich.

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steaders1 | 2 years ago
6 likes

Blah blah blah blah, they all say whatever they think gets votes and never follow through

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VIPcyclist | 2 years ago
8 likes

More mealy mouthed weasel words from, not a Conservative, but a Neo-Con.

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eburtthebike replied to VIPcyclist | 2 years ago
0 likes

VIPcyclist wrote:

More mealy mouthed weasel words from, not a Conservative, but a Neo-Con.

Neo-con=fascist.

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huntswheelers | 2 years ago
5 likes

If you believe anything these bloviating wind bags say then you need a look in the mirror......

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eburtthebike | 2 years ago
18 likes

""Good transport links are central to Liz's plans to turbocharge the economy and unleash the potential of the private sector....."

"We will deliver more frequent and better integrated transport links in the places that need it most....."

Unless I've been having a nightmare for the past 12 years, the tories have promised this a thousand times and delivered it precisely nil.  This is cognitive dissonance on  a grand scale, or perhaps she thinks the sheep still believe them.  She's a part of the most corrupt, dishonest, immoral government ever, and will say and do anything to gain a vote.  Completely lacking in principles, just like the rest of Boris the Liar's cabinet, who wouldn't be there if they had a shred of compassion, veracity or self respect.

It has been reported that it was a certain Liz Truss who was responsible for relaxing the rules on sewage discharges: she literally doesn't give a sh*t.

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chrisonabike | 2 years ago
5 likes

I'd suggest the following confirms that this is all just "fill space and don't rock any boats".

Quote:

working to create an environment that promotes cycling and ensures it can continue to be a huge part of our society.

Huge part of our society already?  Maybe I'm living in the wrong place - maybe ... Lancashire's full of cycling?

I'm glad they asked but far too early to say  And PM so unless they've got a bee in their bonnet more specific things like cycling likely are "too small" for their radar.

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Oldfatgit | 2 years ago
8 likes

Unless you're a paid up member of the Conservative Party, whatever she or the other one says is completely irrelevant as only party members have a say.
It's all hyperbole and bollocks.

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ShutTheFrontDawes replied to Oldfatgit | 2 years ago
1 like

It matters when the next general election comes around. I pray that everyone remembers the bullshit peddled in this shitshow, and that the Tories lose seats by the hundreds. My prayers will probably go unanswered, I realise.

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mattw | 2 years ago
0 likes

It's all mom & apple pie.

The proof of the pudding is in what happens.

Truss has a record of analysis followed by actions she judges necessary, so we will see. That mat be better than butt-sitting Boris and no team of doers around him, which was what happened in the last 18 months.

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HarrogateSpa replied to mattw | 2 years ago
6 likes

Analysis followed by action, like allowing agricultural run-off to kill rivers.

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mattw replied to HarrogateSpa | 2 years ago
0 likes

We'll see in a fortnight.

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ShutTheFrontDawes replied to mattw | 2 years ago
0 likes

"analysis followed by actions" - citation needed

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Hirsute replied to ShutTheFrontDawes | 2 years ago
1 like

Did you disagree with the content of the link ?

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ShutTheFrontDawes replied to Hirsute | 2 years ago
2 likes

Not at all. I assume that mattw meant positive/desirable action. My reply was to their comment, not yours. I can't think of a single instance of decisive action from Truss I morally agree with.

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Hirsute replied to ShutTheFrontDawes | 2 years ago
1 like

Sorry, got the replies muddled up and had harrogatespa's comment in my mind (that was the link I was thinking about).

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