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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

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