General Election Active Travel Hustings – politicians from the four main political parties explain their plans for cycling… but will they get your vote

Not much, really; it's a good thing that we have a debate on active travel during an election campaign, but none of the parties' representatives moved on from what we already knew.

If you've been reading this, then clearly you care about what the various parties are pledging for cycling and walking.

But clearly, in what is widely seen as the most important general election in the UK since World War II, it's likely that there are bigger issues that may influence which way you vote - Brexit, the NHS and tackling violent crime foremost among them. There may also be specific issues local to you that sway your vote.

The one thing we can predict with any certainty about next week's poll - with all due respect to the Liberal Democrat and Green parties - is that it will be the Conservative and Labour parties that win most seats.

One or other may win a majority, but there is also a very strong likelihood of a hung parliament, resulting in a coalition government being formed; and whilst they weren't involved in tonight's debate (as mentioned below, Westminster funding for active travel only applies to England), the SNP, Plaid Cymru and the parties in Northern Ireland will have a say in the way that is formed.

There is clearly a huge gulf in ambition and political will between Labour and the Conservatives when it comes to funding active travel. The Green Party are of course onside, and the Lib Dems too are supportive - but will either have the clout as part of a coalition to push their agendas on the issue?

We may have more clarity a week on Friday; but if the last three and a half years of UK politics have taught us one thing, it's that it's wise not to hold your breath ...

Labour: Ruth Cadbury says it will use £4.7 billion from Vehicle Excise Duty over five years to help find its ambitious plans.

Conservatives: Chris Heaton-Harris admits spending has dropped from £7 per person per head to £1, though he says that he hopes for a higher spend.

The Lib Dems, meanwhile, are banking on a ‘Remain Bonus’ while the Greens say they will rely on borrowing.

road.cc comment

The two parties that will win the most seats at the next election are poles apart on their proposed spending.

Whether Labour can afford £50 per head annually is open to question – but the £1 that the Conservatives are pledging is an absolute shocker, and a lot less than what Boris Johnson was spending as Mayor of London.

Andrew Gilligan, who was recruited by the former mayor to push through his cycling programme in London and is now his active travel advisor at Number Ten, is seen as someone who can “bash heads together” to get projects delivered – but on that budget, it’s difficult to see how anything can be done.

As an aside, being a cycling minister in a Conservative government seems to be a pretty thankless task … the last few holders of the post are cyclists, and seem to understand the issues – but it seems clear it is not a priority for the party.

Click through to her tweet to see what people are concerned about 

I'm on the tweets for @roadcc tonight live from the active travel hustings at the Brompton factory. What question(s) would you like me to ask?

— Laura Laker (@laura_laker) December 3, 2019

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Enforcement on road danger. Only fund high quality infrastructure. mentions a body like the old Cycling England (sighs in the audience), spending in cities as per Manchester. Ending dependence on fossil fuels</p>&mdash; road.cc (@roadcc) <a href="https://twitter.com/roadcc/status/1201940193315606529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The conservatives pledge £350m over 5 years, or £70m a year, on cycling. It's the lowest pledge of the major parties in this election but says "we are all committed to doing a lot more" https://t.co/Zn5dk1dTBS

— road.cc (@roadcc) December 3, 2019

Brompton timeline on the way in, including an early rejection letter from Raleigh, dismissing the idea as 'It'll never work" pic.twitter.com/nG86kyM21w

— road.cc (@roadcc) December 3, 2019

With just nine days to go until the General Election, Brompton Bicycle’s factory in Greenford, West London will this evening host an Active Travel Hustings which will see representatives of the four main parties in England quizzed on their policies on cycling and walking.

Chaired by BBC journalist Rachel Schofield – who, like her husband, Jeremy Vine is a keen cyclist – the debate will start at 6.30pm and will be live streamed. We’ll post a link to the feed once we have it.

Speaking on behalf of their parties will be:

Chris Heaton-Harris, Minister for Cycling and Walking, Conservatives

Caroline Pidgeon AM, Deputy Chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee, Liberal Democrats

Caroline Russell AM, National Spokesperson for Transport, Green Party

A senior representative of the Labour Party, tbc​

(nb Active travel in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland lies within the remit of the devolved administrations there)

Among the audience will be people from the country’s cycling and walking sectors, senior figures from local government and members of the transport, cycling and environmental press.

We’ll be updating this blog ahead of the hustings and once it is underway.