Question your Candidates! If the pundits are to be believed, then the coming General Election may well result in a hung parliament, with the outcome in the marginals holding or swinging on just a few votes, and ‘interest blocks’. Here, motorcyclists could have a significant effect on results. If you have the opportunity to question candidates on their attitude to motorcycling in general, and trail riding in particular, then please do so, and let the TRF know what response you get.
Please send the questions you asked, and the reply you got (and from whom), to:
southandsouthwest@trf.org.uk This General Election sees more sitting MPs standing down than any in modern times. Asking the sitting MP about his or her track record on, e.g., the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006, will therefore not be possible in many constituencies, and that Act is starting to slip into history in parliamentary terms anyway. These questions are mainly applicable to England and Wales, but do have some impact in Scotland, and MPs for Scottish constituencies can vote on England and Wales national legislation, although issues affecting Wales are increasingly being considered and commenced independently.
At the time of writing this (early April) the best way to find out who are the main candidates in your constituency is via the principal parties’ web sites.
<snipped, we know who the candidates are now>
The current sitting Members of Parliament are listed here:
http://www.parliament.uk/mpslordsandoff ... s/alms.cfm These are some specimen questions to ask, but feel free to modify them to your own viewpoint or local circumstances. The last two questions, specific to NERCA 2006 and to traffic regulation orders, may simply be too ‘technical’ for candidates who have not been MPs before, so use your judgement in deciding what to ask. Try to keep questions simple. Long, multi-part questions tend to get vague answers:
1. I am a motorcyclist. I often feel that motorcyclists get a rough deal from the government, although there are millions of us, and we are mostly mature, responsible citizens. Do you have a motorcycle driving licence? Do you have a view on motorcycling as both transport and recreation?
2. As a motorcyclist, I am also what is known as a ‘trail rider’. I use my road-legal, quiet, machine to explore the minor roads and byways of Britain in a responsible and sustainable way. In recent years my activity has been progressively squeezed out of the countryside. Do you believe that I have a legitimate expectation to be able to enjoy Britain’s minor highways, along with walkers, horse riders and cyclists?
3. There is undoubtedly a problem caused by ‘cowboy’ motorcyclists, making noise and driving where they should not be (e.g. in country parks and nature sites). My friends and I are not ‘cowboys’, yet we are usually caught by the measures imposed to prevent the illegal use - measures that often do not address the problem and only bite on hitherto legitimate and responsible motorcyclists. No government would dream of penalising innocent people on the basis of the race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual preferences, but governments do on the basis of people’s hobbies and transport. What is your view on this?
4. It seems to me that there is a steady trend towards ‘privatising the countryside’, making more roads ‘access only’, and giving more powers to the National Parks. Do you agree that Britain’s highway network, and the freedom of the individual to use and enjoy it, are fundamental rights that must be protected?
5. As a recreational motorcyclist I spend a lot of money in the countryside over a year. As a group we are significant contributors to the rural economy. Do you understand that not everyone wishes to walk or cycle, and that the ‘spend’ of the private motorist remains crucial to the survival of many (probably most) rural cafes, shops, petrol stations and B&Bs?
6. Public facilities in the countryside require sufficient investment to keep them usable. Our network of byways and public paths is a jewel in the crown of Britain, and must have enough resources to keep it in repair and to prevent obstructions. Will you defend the public’s access to our minor highways and ensure that sufficient funds are allocated and applied?
7. In 2006, Parliament passed an Act (Natural Environment & Rural Communities Act) that closed many old roads to motorcyclists. From sensible beginnings the Bill was hijacked, and the end result is a nonsense. Many good and sustainable routes were closed to motorcycles, whilst some others that were left open to motorists are not sustainable. This Act created a ‘nonsense’ situation that even closed some proper tarmac roads. If elected, would you/your party be prepared to rescind the bad parts of NERCA 2006 and create a workable, equitable statute?
8. Often, a local highway authority will impose a traffic regulation order on an unmetalled road to ‘manage’ traffic by prohibiting it. The law requires these roads to be maintained at public expense, yet the power to prohibit the public is regularly being abused. What will your party do to rectify this situation?
Alan Kind and Dave Tilbury