Cycling MP: worthy example or exploiter?

[Grandad]

Living and working in Wolverhampton I sometimes had to work in London for a week or two. Even knowing that I cycled both ways the company were quite happy to give me the train fare. That was when the A34 was not much more than a country road.

[Tangled Metal]

How giving expenses rates with a factor bad on damage or improvement to public health and the environment?

That way cycling would probably get several pounds per mile and car drivers have to pay several pounds per mile instead. It is a form of positive discrimination that I would approve of.

[Carlton green]

Surely (if government were clued-up) the sensible thing would be to offer the 45p per mile 'expenses' if the MP used bike or car, thus getting more MPs (and other civil servants) on bikes - eager to make a 'profit'

To my mind that idea has merit. OK expenses are just that, they reimburse you for expenses incurred. However, there is some question about whether that should be the case when higher than necessary expenses are incurred and IMHO additional expenses incurred through use of larger vehicles than necessary shouldn’t be reimbursed. The inverse is equally valid, why effectively penalise someone for vigorously avoiding unnecessary expense?

Mileage expenses are generally reimbursement for marginal costs, but I wouldn’t necessarily expect an MP - or anyone else - to have a bike already so his / her ‘reimbursement’ needs to include some element of bike purchase cost too. There is therefore a case for encouraging new cyclists and rewarding existing ones by giving them the same mileage rate as cars. In calculating Cyclists’ costs there should be the assumption of high purchase cost, regular renewal / replacement (bikes get nicked, vandalised and potentially left out in all weathers), professional service costs and low annual mileage; additionally clothing costs might be incurred and a small financial incentive to cycle rather than drive isn’t unreasonable - to promote healthy low emission transport that reduces congestion.

[Oldjohnw]

The basis of payment of expenses in government is that you should be neither better nor worse off as a consequence of the expense.

At present that is law: there is not meant to be any political or policy element in the system.

[Carlton green]

The basis of payment of expenses in government is that you should be neither better nor worse off as a consequence of the expense.

At present that is law: there is not meant to be any political or policy element in the system.

In general I think that that is fair and the way that it should be. However nearly all rules have a bit of flex in them and so a degree of positivity in calculating cycling reimbursement costs is, I would have thought, possible.

[Vorpal]

Surely (if government were clued-up) the sensible thing would be to offer the 45p per mile 'expenses' if the MP used bike or car, thus getting more MPs (and other civil servants) on bikes - eager to make a 'profit'

When I worked as a Bikeability instructor, we were paid distance to teaching the site at motor vehicle rates, whether we drove or cycled. IIRC, we theoretically had to pay tax on the little extra, but most of us didn't make enough to pay much tax, anyway, so it was a good incentive to cycle.

As for the OP, I think it's fantastic that he cycles, and I think that every MP should. They need to be out and about in their constituencies, not distributing pollution from motor vehicles. In some constituencies, of course, it's difficult or impossible to avoid using a motor vehicle. But I really think that there needs to be a means to to encourage or require them to use active travel and public transport, at least for things within 5 miles or so of their nearest residence.

I expect that there would suddenly be a better understanding of the need for improved infrastructure for nonmotorised users and better public transport...

[Cyril Haearn]

German MPs get free train travel, +1
In first class, -1