MAG's lobbying to be louder and prouder in 2025

Last year saw levels of concern for the interests of motorcyclists significantly decline under a new Government. The Government needs to prepare for MAG’s lobbying to be far louder and prouder in 2025.

Despite glimmers of hope in the first half of 2024, the general election marked a change of trajectory for the fate of UK motorcycling. Riders saw early promise with motorcycle licensing reform on the agenda and a default motorcycle access in bus lanes consultation. But hopes were dashed after the general election with a shelving of licence reform and a shocking refusal to accept the overwhelming evidence in favour of consistent national policy on bus lane access.

The bus lane access consultation outcome issued in November carried a comment that was heard loud and clear by all riders around the country. 

“At present, the government has no policy to encourage greater use of motorcycles.”

This statement has been repeated directly by the Roads Minister, Lilian Greenwood, in a written parliamentary question response.

In an interview with Motorcycle News in December, Fabian Hamilton, Labour MP for Leeds North East, admitted:

“Labour is not interested in motorcycles – or so it would seem. I think there’s a lot of ignorance built into that.”

MAG’s Director of Campaigns & Political Engagement, Colin Brown, said:

“The new Government promised that change would not be easy, but that doesn’t justify such an uncompromisingly negative attitude towards a transport user group with such potential. We have spent decades explaining to successive governments how motorcycling complies with their visions and aspirations for the future of transport. Yet the Labour Government’s position has been rudely made.

Of course, we won’t stop making all the usual arguments in favour of motorcycling, but there needs to be more to the motorcycle lobby than that. The Government may be telling us that it has no care for motorcycling, but we do. 

We will push far harder to demand the Government deliver on our agenda – the agenda of our members and riders everywhere. Our agenda most certainly will encourage greater use of motorcycles!”

MAG’s leadership is asking for all riders to join us for a year of hard work. The work will be loud, proud and relentless. Big plans are afoot, and announcements will be coming very soon.