Chris Boardman for cycling Tsar

The UK could do with a positive voice for cycling, a cycling tsar.

Kaya Burgess of the Times has called for Chris Boardman to be appointed to the role on Twitter. I agree.

Chris loves cycling and his comments about riding as a relatively low risk and fun activity are articulated well. He is well known and respected outside of cycling. As a celebrity and sporting hero he would have popular appeal.

Do you agree? Who else could fill such a role?

Coach Shane.
Wiggo.
John snow.
Zoe Williams.
Christian Wolmar.
Balki.

From your list I would consider Zoe Williams or Balki
May put up a poll if we get more names

Oh, Skydancer too.he's a top bloke.

Id do it for 25 grand a year if you're paying.lifetime riding and serious head injury survivor.

You're cheap mf

Don't tell everybody.

I would vote for Boardman but I suspect he's too busy.

Considering how effective all the other various 'tsars' have been I think it's the last thing cycling needs. It's a meaningless job title given out when politicians intend to do nothing but don't want to be the ones being seen to do nothing.

We need a revolution, not a tsar.

ok
Spacemen 3 - "Revolution" Taang! Records - YouTube

Zoe Williams - any bandwaggon for cash.

Why not victoria pendletons arse as so may of the tabloids and tabloid magazines seem so interested in it.

Great idea, Boardman for PM, j.m.f for Deputy.

Considering how effective all the other various 'tsars' have been I think it's the last thing cycling needs. It's a meaningless job title given out when politicians intend to do nothing but don't want to be the ones being seen to do nothing.

Unlike, say, the 'drugs' tsar who wasn't expected to champion drugs a cycling tsar (agree perhaps the wrong word) would be a voice promoting cycling and would balance other, sometimes strident, voices of campaigners who often publicly contradict each other (segregate or share space for example).

From what I have heard from Boardman he would put forward balanced positive views and express his infectious enthusiasm for many types of riding a bike and set a good example

Paul Kimmage?

And would he end up like Keith Hellawell, Tony Blair's drug Tsar?
*He resigned from his position in July 2002 over the government's reclassification of cannabis from a Class B to a Class C substance. Differences in opinion with the government over strategy towards tackling drugs were common during his tenure. In the position he was paid £106,057 a year.
*
Co-opted on to the government's side only to discover, as if it wasn't already obvious, that he had no power and no influence. Nothing more than a useful idiot for illiberal politicians.
Or. God forbid, end up making a very nice living from non-jobs the way Louise Casey has?
I hope Boardman is sensible enough to see through a fig-leaf position like cycling-tsar.

That's an articulate answer that deals with the reality.
I don't post reality often as days are spent dealing with council non job staff that have now recieved millions for the current daft 'local sustainable transport funds'
Which is likely to be frittered on consultants, emails, marketing and other rubbish that leaves the country as far away from sustainable transport as mars.

^ this

When £50 million is shared between all local authorities for infrastructure it boils down to about enough to pay for one stretch of painted line / one junction redesign per authority once all the consultants etc have been costed.

nice headline number, delivers very little in reality.

We're all in this together, but some of us are more together than others.

Aye, reports must be seen to be written, but theyre never written to be seen.

The critique of the concept focuses on the finance rather than the concept of the importance of a popularist voice for cycling adding to the already apparent shift of riding bikes from the margins to the centre of the lane.

Are there not more populist voices right now than in the past 2 decades already?

No one with the straight cycling is good message that boarman has

No one with the straight cycling is good message that boarman has

I don't know, I reckon people would go tsk, tsk in bristling at the suggestion that they should take up cycling if he was the tsar.