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Cyclists in London (copyright Britishcycling.org_.uk).jpgSenior Liberal Democrat says "Cyclists do not belong in towns"
A senior member of the Liberal Democrat party who last year called for a “mass extermination” of cyclists has said that London’s Cycle Superhighways are “a complete waste of taxpayers’ money” and that “cyclists do not belong in towns.” He has since apologised for any offence his remarks caused.
Robert Woodthorpe Browne, who has stood for election to Parliament on a number of occasions and is chair of his party’s international relations committee, shared his views on the capital’s new cycling infrastructure in a post to Twitter yesterday which appears to have been subsequently deleted.
One Twitter user asked Lib Dem leader Tim Farron whether Woodthorpe Brown’s views reflected those of the party and was told they did not.
@tomsulston We are pro-cycling and I'm proud of it. @spittingcat
— Tim Farron (@timfarron) March 23, 2016
Another user of the social network suggested Woodthorpe Browne visit Cambridge, the city with by far the highest levels of cycling in the UK.
@robertbrowne1 (hint: they don't. They, as with most cllrs of all parties here in the city, enthusiastically support cycling)
— Al (@Al__S) March 23, 2016
Dr Julian Huppert, who was Lib Dem MP for Cambridge from 2010-15 during which period he was co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group which three years ago published the Get Britain Cycling report, outlined why cyclists do belong in towns, and invited Woodthorpe Browne to contact him.
@robertbrowne1 I think you've got it the wrong way around. Cyclists very much belong in towns; reduces congestion, increases shop sales, ...
— Julian Huppert (@julianhuppert) March 23, 2016
@robertbrowne1 improves air quality, promotes towns as a space for people, not metal, helps to promote health, accessible to all incomes ...
— Julian Huppert (@julianhuppert) March 23, 2016
@robertbrowne1 ... And much more. Strongly positive economic impact as well as environmental etc. Email me if you want to know more!
— Julian Huppert (@julianhuppert) March 23, 2016
This afternoon, Woodthorpe Browne posted an apology for yesterday’s tweet, although some might see an element of party PR spin at work.
1.A tweet I sent last night after yet again leaping out of the way of a cyclist speeding on the pavement outside my flat has caused offence
— R Woodthorpe Browne (@robertbrowne1) March 23, 2016
2. I apologise to those I may have upset. I don't drive in town and don't cycle either - too scared. Cyclists need protection, of course.
— R Woodthorpe Browne (@robertbrowne1) March 23, 2016
Last year, when asked to explain his anger at a BBC London tweet linking to a report that 25,000 cyclists were set to take part in the RideLondon-Surrey 100 sportive, he said his aversion to people on bikes could only be cured “by mass extermination or uninvention of [the] bicycle.”
“@BBCLondonNews: More than 25,000 cyclists are set to descend on the capital this weekend for RideLondon. GRRRRRR!
— R Woodthorpe Browne (@robertbrowne1) August 2, 2015
@CRRosenstiel only by mass extermination or uninvention of bicycle. Problem in London is cyclists on pavements and jumping lights
— R Woodthorpe Browne (@robertbrowne1) August 2, 2015
The remark, made to a former Lib Dem councillor from Cambridge, may have been tongue in cheek, but has come under the spotlight again in the light of Woodthorpe Browne’s latest anti-cyclist comments.
A reinsurance professional who is junior warden of a City livery company and who also sits on the board of the Royal Institute of International Affairs – commonly referred to as Chatham House – Woodthorpe Brown has sought election as an MP on several occasions.
He has unsuccessfully stood against ex-prime minister Tony Blair as well as former cabinet ministers Michael Portillo and Alan Clark. At last year's general election, he was the Lib Dem candidate for Staffordshire South, coming fourth with 2.9 per cent of the vote.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
Latest Comments
- mark1a 4 min 19 sec ago
My area (Weymouth) has just had a new dockless ebike scheme implemented by Beryl, back in August this year, all going well it seems, other than the...
- mdavidford 14 min 28 sec ago
Maybe one and the same thing though. They're not exactly short of populists over there, any more than we are. I'm sure if those people thought they...
- chrisonabike 26 min 57 sec ago
Thanks. I guess the question is "need". If the road is busy, it sounds like it is a desired route between places? In which case (given this an...
- mdavidford 34 min 54 sec ago
Don't know what you mean. I thought my suggestion was entirely practical.
- hawkinspeter 35 min 14 sec ago
So, it looks like she can choose a 45 minute drive or a 26 minute walk. It's almost as if the scheme is encouraging people to walk short distances...
- mdavidford 37 min 24 sec ago
...and a square of faux sheepskin for the back of your saddle.
- chrisonabike 47 min 37 sec ago
An excellent idea but then - due to expensive lawyers and accountants - no doubt the richer would be found to personally not own or control a penny...
- Rapha Nadal 1 hour 9 min ago
I'd buy a motorbike fo rthat kind of money!
- ktache 12 hours 2 min ago
There are people out there who will make you the belt out of your old tyre.
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30 comments
hey you, political crapface, did you know that politicians do not belong in towns and not cyclists. towns are for human beigns... not for freaks of nature (aristotle@politika talking for politicians)
Robert Woodthorpe Browne, doing his very best to make sure the Lib-Dems never get elected again. I've a suspicion that he is a member of the ABD (Anti-Bicycle Disorder).
From his website "I joined the Liberal party when at school and have never wavered in my belief that liberalism in the U.K and abroad is the best philosophy to improve the lives of all peoples." Except cyclists of course.
I quite agree, and I believe that its called "blame displacement"
Essentially, it makes bad car drivers feel better if they pretend another group is even worse. And, like those people who seem to get unnaturally cross at peoples sexual orentation - you do have to wonder if those complanining about RLJ the loudest are the ones with something to hide....
But unfortunately, cyclists do it as well - "yes I jumped a light on purpose, but look at all those cars sitting in the ASL and, look, he jumped a light too..."
(Just saying
)
Anyone who needs to embellish their name with a double surname to emphasise they come from not one but two mighty dynasties is always a little sad and suspect.
yours,
Wolfie Woodthorpe Smith
Surely if he'd nearly been hit by a cyclist, more cycle infrastructure, not less, would be the solution?
I think this guy must be quite a good laugh in the pub though.
Senior Liberal Democrat says, "I am an idiot ". Seriously, bicycles belong in towns more than HGVs and the majority of the cars.
Look on the bright side. You all have R Woodthorpe Browne. We have Donald Trump. I am willing to accept a straight up trade.
Unfortunately if Trump does win he becomes the world's problem. Wasn't it Hitler that said there was no such thing as bad publicity? This twonk, like that lawyer who gets footballers off driving charges, as well as many others will continue to use any form of media to perpetuate their own deluded self worth.
Seems fair at least there would be no chance of him being elected here.
To be fair, Browne isn't great at being elected either, which might go some way to explaining his illogical bursts of frustration...
Yeah, I was thinking about saving the world by keeping Trump out of power, not the other knob who is just irrelevant.
I'd really love to watch the inevitable tv show featuring him sitting across from Sugar, each of them pointing at each other and trying to fire the other.
Liberal Democrats, that name rings a bell. Do they still exist?
Cyclists boost local sales of cake all over the country. The correlation is undeniable.
They've certainly increased the supply of LibDem fruitcake in this instance.
Who?
I don't live in the city but I do live in a busy town. The majority of red light jumping I've seen over the last 30 of my adult years is done by cars. I saw a cyclist red light jump last week which annoyed me but before that I can't really remember the last time I saw a cyclist do it and I commute every day by bike and then go out recreationally 3 to 4 times a week. The perceived problem is perpetuated by dicks like this lib dem. It isn't anywhere near as bad as people make out.
Mounting the pavement and navigating the junction slowly at walking speed when your light is red to me is not RLJ (and is OK according to the DfT providing it's done safely and considerately).
Now our idiot lib dem dinosaur here now claims a pavement cyclist almost ran him down. I don't buy it otherwise his first tweet would have started "cyclist nearly ran into me...."
With that in mind also in the last 30 years of my adult riding life the majority of pavement cyclists I see are children and women. Majority, not all. Anyone who tells a zero road sense 12 year old to get off the pavement and on the road needs to re-think their position in the human race.
As has been said already lots of car drivers think it's fine to drive on the pavement if their lane is a bit narrow or block a pavement enough so that a mobility scooter or pram cannot get pass.
Everyone seems to forget that our bikes weigh ~15kgs, our protection is lycra and cotton and we wear 250 gram Styrofoam helmets. We are not cocooned in 1.5 ton metal and plastic shells with multiple air bags and other safety measures. Maybe that is why some cyclists ride on the pavement. Can you really blame them? I stick to the road unless I feel really really vulnerable and I would not criticise anyone riding slowly, considerately, and carefully on the pavement.
I really do not understand this 'Cyclists on pavements' argument. Apart from 'shared space' pavements, I don't generally see this happening. In fact cars on pavements seems to be a much more common occurence.
There's always a handy cyclist on the pavement right outside the front door when a knob-end like this wants to excuse their hatred
Just this evening arriving home, driver coming the other war couldn't wait 10s for me to pull in to space so we could pass and instead drove on the pavement. (My road is too narrow for cars to pass as people like to store their metal boxes on the public highway)
Lucky I was driving or he would have gone for playing chicken with me instead.
When is the government going to start to treat some of the hateful remarks against cyclists (including incitement to violence) as hate speech?
Think I'm being too extreme? Substitute "cyclist" with "black/Jew/disabled" in many of the comments you hear reported these days and ask yourself what societies view would be then on the acceptability of the comment. Added to which, when called out on their comments they are waved away with either a caveated apology, stating it was meant as a joke, or that they also ride a bike or are friends with a person who rides a bike.
The reason racist/discriminatory remarks are not sociably acceptable is because they normalise discriminatory attitudes which is a contributing factor in threats and violence towards victims. I'd argue that comments by politicians such as this charming character feed into the mindset of idiots who punish-pass cyclists leading to death and devastated families.
(edited 24/03) "Hate speech " is IIRC quite specifically drawn - only hate based on gender, sexuality, religion, or differently abled need apply. Discrimination based on mode of transportation doesn't count (even though it is definitely a thing).
That's kind of my point. It is (perhaps intentionally?) limited to certain categories. I'd suggest that the law need to be changed so that active discrimination as well as comments which could incite violence or discrimination towards any group regardless of what ties people into that group should be treated in the same way. In our case, it appears the mere act of being part of a group that rides bikes is enough to cause a minority of the population to treat you as a target of either speach abuse (for want of a better term) or physical intimidation (in the case where blatantly intimidatory driving occurs or such as the barbed wire traps on cycle paths).
Would it be too cynical to suggest that the reason the law won't change so that cyclists (and other groups) would be protected by it is because those who would need to change the law realise that whilst most of their supporters are not racists etc, a few too many would fall foul of a law change in favour of cyclists, which in turn leads to an unpopluar law = lost votes?
Ultimately, a reasonable person would agree that some of the utterances and behaviours that go unpunished towards cyclists would be treated with far more vigour by the justice system if it were a different group being targetted.
Twittering twit.
Julian Huppert was a true friend of cycling when he was in Parliament.
Robert Browne is a knob and would be better off in UKIP!
LibDems - who are they again? ah, the party who can't even manage to muster more MPs than the Democratic Unionist Party. Dead and buried, like the attitudes of this twonk should be
Yes, yes, of course, Woody, old boy - Only country dwellers should be allowed to cycle.
Twat! He probably tweeted while he was stoshious, then, on reflection, in case it cost him votes, apologised when he sobered up.
As he has consistently failed to win an election I expect he's going to tweet about the cycling mafia fising it so he can't win in 5,4,3,2.....
Robert Woodthorpe Browne is a useless tosser of the first order and may find ducks sexually attractive. He should be exterminated.
I wish to apologise for any offence my comments may have caused.