Motor Cycle News (MCN) has become the first magazine to register as
an official political party after editor Marc Potter signed up as a
parliamentary candidate for Peterborough.
Potter is campaigning
on a platform of safer roads for bikers and promoting motorcycling as a
solution to congestion and pollution.
According to publisher
Emap, other major parties in the Cambridgeshire constituency are
“running scared”, with one candidate even offering to adopt some of
Potter’s policies if he agreed not to stand. But Potter, who told his
opponent he would see him on election night, is standing firm in the
hope of improving conditions for bikers.
He said: “We don’t
expect to challenge for Parliament, but we do expect to raise awareness
of the issues facing Britain’s riders – poor roads, bad drivers and
speed cameras – and force these issues up the agenda.”
Emap also
claims the Electoral Commission was forced to carry out a review of its
rules and regulations when MCN requested to register as a party, but
the commission eventually accepted it as a legitimate political group.
The
MCN Party manifesto includes ensuring the protection of motorbikers and
other road users by making sure their interests are taken into account
in every aspect of transport policy, improving bike safety with changes
to the bike and car tests and allowing bikes to use bus lanes.
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