Oops, I’ve moved this to the Chat forum now.

I’ve liked and shared on Facebook – a well written letter.

Pretty eloquent and well laid out I thought, the least the rest of us can do is share and spread the letter. Unfortunately due to it’s measured sensible content and language I doubt it’ll get much traction outside the cycling community.

What’s happened to the content?

It’s gone to chat although it’s cycling related?

The Facebook post is here

My letter to Jesse Norman, MP, Minster for Transport. Share or don’t share, it’s up to you…
Dear Jesse,
I was saddened to follow the coverage of your first real splash in the UK media after your promotion to Transport Minister. In the few times we’ve met I’ve been impressed by your approach and by what I felt was an honest approach to politics, despite not agreeing with many of your views. Thus I hoped that you would use your new position to promote a sensible and progressive transport agenda, an agenda that focused on safety, the environment and the economy rather than succumbing to a populist yearning to to ignore facts and rush to judgement (a lesson from Burke that I can thank you for). To put it simply you’ve taken advantage of a tragedy to get media coverage and promote an unfair and unrepresentative view of cyclists.
It’s hard to know where to start. On the face of it your letter seems reasonable, why not highlight the importance of law abiding cycling after Charlie Alliston caused the death of Kim Briggs? But you surely know better, 2 deaths were caused by cyclists last year while ~1700 deaths were caused by motor vehicles. You knew the message your letter would send, not one of ‘let’s work to reduce road deaths’ but rather ‘we’re all equal on the road, just some are more equal than others’. You used your power to highlight the errors of a minority and in doing so yet again steered the spotlight away from the dangerous conditions that I, my wife, my son and our friends face every day when we cycle on the roads around Herefordshire.
You shouldn’t think that I don’t support the move to update the law so that dangerous cycling can be dealt with effectively, that is plainly sensible and right. However, I would hope that, in reflection, you would accept that you could have and you should have used your power and influence more effectively last week. It seems to me that you saw an opportunity to have your name in the press and to provide fuel to those that see cyclists as part of the problem, and it’s opportunism such as that I had hoped you were above.
I want you, my representative, to work to reduce road deaths but moreover I want you to use logic and evidence to guide your actions rather than emotion and populism. By focusing on the 0.1% of road deaths you’ve essentially whitewashed the reasons for the 99.9%. So please, in your next big announcement, do something to redress the balance… perhaps proclaim your support for the West Midlands Police who have made my safety a priority with their ‘Close Pass’ initiative and publicly encourage police forces around the country to follow their lead. I guarantee that action will save more lives than your letter will!
Finally, I would like to invite you to join me on a law-abiding cycle ride around Herefordshire (don’t worry, I’ll find you an electric bike). I can promise you there is no better way to experience our fine county in autumn. I can only hope that we will be able to enjoy our ride both safely and peacefully. I can’t imagine you’ve experienced the pleasure of the ’60 mph close pass’, the ‘deliberate cut-up’, the ‘can of coke out of the window’ or even, if you’re very lucky, verbal threats directed and you and your 7 year old son but please take my word for it that nothing makes you feel more mortal than someone using a tonne of metal as a threatening weapon. In fact, I’d like so much for you to join me that I’ll make you a promise, if we can complete a 2 hour ride without you feeling in mortal danger due to another road users actions then I promise that the post-ride coffee and cake are on me. However there is a flip-side, if in the course of our ride you do feel the fear that cyclists know only too well then you promise to take a stand and publicly support the WM Police Close Pass initiative (and I’ll still buy the cake).
Looking forward to sharing the roads with you,
Luke Moseley

Good letter ..hope it gets a favourable response .
I’m unable to offer any advice as to how to make it more widespread.
Shouldn’t it be ” on reflection” though instead of “in reflection “
Sorry don’t mean to be unnecessarily pedantic
Good luck