ELECTIONS 2022: THINGS TO DO, PEOPLE TO SEE Cycling UK’s toolkit for local campaigners
Elections 2022: Things to do, people to see Cycling UK’s toolkit for local campaigners
March 2022
Contact Cycling UK: Cycling UK Parklands Railton Road Guildford Surrey GU2 9JX
Tel.: 01483 238300 Email: campaigns@cyclinguk.org
cyclinguk.org/can Copyright © 2022 Cycling UK. All rights reserved.
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Contents Foreword ................................................................................................................................... 3 1. Take candidates for a cycle ride ...................................................................................... 4 2. Host a hustings ................................................................................................................. 7 3. Stage a stunt or action ................................................................................................... 12 4. Embrace the media ........................................................................................................ 15 5. Promote your messages on social media ..................................................................... 21 6. Write to your local paper ................................................................................................ 24 7. Set up and plan a new campaign .................................................................................. 26 8. Write an ‘Advocacy Plan’ ................................................................................................ 29 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 30
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Foreword Surveys and opinion polls repeatedly show that the public backs measures to enable people to walk and cycle.1 But, even though separated cycle lanes and increased government funding for active travel schemes are so popular, people overestimate the wider public’s opposition to them. And they’re not alone. Too many politicians don’t realise that the majority favours safer streets where they live and work, and wants them to get on with delivering it. In local authorities across Britain, many councillors have ignored this, yet listened to media headlines, scrapping or watering-down schemes in response to small but vocal opposition. Many have panicked at the first negative headline, and ripped out cycle lanes without giving people time to adapt and change their travel habits. And, in Northern Ireland, where the Department for Infrastructure is responsible for highways, perceived public opposition to active travel schemes still delays delivery. Not only are these schemes popular, but the evidence supporting them is overwhelming.2 Clearly, we must convince politicians at a local level that building cycle lanes doesn’t just make economic, environmental and public health sense, but there are also votes in it. After all, many sitting and prospective politicians have their eye on the next polling day. On 5 May, there’ll be elections for local authorities in Scotland, Wales and parts of England, and National Assembly elections in Northern Ireland. Cycling UK is running election campaigns across all four nations3, but we need politicians and candidates to hear the voices of local people telling them it’s time to step up, be bold, and to deliver safe cycling infrastructure where they live. But that sounds like campaigning, and many people who share our vision for cycling don’t really think of themselves as campaigners. They’d like their voice to be heard, but they’re not sure where or how to start. That’s why we’ve produced this guide. It explains how to engage with and influence the people who seek to represent you. From taking your candidate for a cycle ride to using social media, hosting a hustings, engaging with the media and more, we’ve included various simple ‘how to’ guides to help you persuade your local candidates and politicians to listen to you, the evidence and the wider public, not just the media hype. We hope you find this guide helpful, both in the run-up to the May elections and beyond. You don’t have to follow every guide, but hopefully you’ll find something which will help you let your candidates know that this matters to you, and that you expect them to get there with cycling – to make it happen.
Duncan Dollimore, head of campaigns, Cycling UK cyclinguk.org/article/cycling-uk-report-urges-bike-lane-planners-be-brave cyclinguk.org/article/six-reasons-build-cycle-lanes 3 cyclinguk.org/elections-2022 1 2
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1.
Take candidates for a cycle ride
You know exactly what it’s like to cycle in your area and what the council needs to do to improve things. At election time, you want to convert local candidates into insightful allies, who’ll always be there for your cause if they’re elected. Talking and writing are good, but taking candidates out for a cycle ride might clinch their support because it prompts a more personal, direct understanding of local problems and the schemes that could solve them. Here are some thoughts from Gwenda Owen, our engagement office in Wales (pictured left below), who’s recently chaperoned some of her local candidates round her ward and taken them to meet other active travel advocates along the way.
a. Why do it? Apart from winning, candidates usually want to change things for the better. What ‘better’ looks like may be subject to debate, but it makes sense for people who are running for election to listen to their voters. It’s not a mammoth task for local candidates to research the characteristics of their electorate and neighbourhood. After all, they’re standing to represent a relatively small patch: across the UK, the average number of people in a ward is 5,500.
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They will, though, be responsible for a broad range of issues if elected, including transport, planning and education. They may not have discovered much at all about active travel, let alone the positive difference cycling could make to the local community and its potential to solve problems such as school-run congestion, rat-running through housing estates and air pollution. That’s where you can step in. Inviting candidates to accompany you on a bike ride is a powerful way to explain on the spot why introducing new schemes and removing barriers to cycling could make such a difference to your neighbourhood on so many fronts.
b. Invitees • All candidates need to hear from cycling advocates, especially those who don’t use bikes to get around. If you aren’t able to arrange a ride with every one of them, don’t worry – but make sure that no one can accuse you of political bias. • Invite candidates from across the political spectrum. Don’t assume that just because their national party’s policy is for (or against) cycling and active travel, they will agree. Their personal views may differ from the party line and be influenced by their relationships with local advocates. Also, approaching candidates from a range of parties helps prevent perceptions of bias – if you’re part of a local campaigning group, you’ll probably want to stay politically neutral anyway. • Don’t just invite the candidates who already support your cause. It’s great to let active travel champions and everyday cycling candidates know that their support for cycling could sway votes, but they may not win. • Research each candidate for hooks. Many set up social media accounts as part of their election campaign – use what you discover to interest them in riding with you.
c. How? • By bike or on foot: there’s nothing quite like getting about by bike, so if your candidate is comfortable riding, this is the best way to get your point across. Not everyone will be in a position to ride, though, so ‘walk & talk’ is fine and can be less stressful than cycling around a challenging area. • On your own or with others: if you’re part of a group or have friends you can call on, perhaps arrange for the candidate to meet others who already do/would like to get around by bike, e.g. parents/disabled riders/children/commuters/leisure riders/shoppers. This gives candidates a wider understanding of the electorate’s views.
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d. What and where? • Find maps of ward boundaries on your local authority’s website. • Start your ride/walk on a positive note. If you’re aware of an example of some infrastructure or other measure that works well, begin there. • Show them what matters to you: if there’s nowhere to park your bikes near the local shops, ride around in search of the nearest spot and, along the way, discuss how local business can benefit when cycling customers can park nearer. If a cargo or adapted bike, or one fitted with panniers, can’t access a shortcut because of a barrier or gate, take your candidate(s) the long way round to show how inconvenient it is. • Chat about what matters to them / ask them what’s bothering their voters. If, for example, candidates are being barraged by complaints about a lack of car parking space around a school, offer solutions they may not have thought of: school streets4, say, and cycle parking at the school.
e. When? • Meet at the time of day that allows you to illustrate your point. If a junction is difficult to cross at commuter times, meet during rush hour; if you want to make the case for ‘school streets’, arrange to meet at dropping off or pick-up time, not mid-morning. • If you can’t meet at the optimal time, take them to the site and show them a prerecorded video of the problems.
f. What next? • Share any photos of the ride on social media or find other ways to let people know it’s happened, prompting further conversation on the subject. (See sections 4 and 5 on media relations). • Encourage others to talk to candidates about cycling and active travel, making the point that it’s an important issue to a range of people. • If one of the candidates you’ve ridden with is elected, stay in contact with them and develop your relationship (and hold them to account for any promises). • Keep talking to ‘unsuccessful’ candidates too. They may become allies in your ongoing local campaigning and perhaps stand successfully in future elections. Read Gwenda’s blog. to find out how her bike rides for candidates went.
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http://schoolstreets.org.uk/
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2.
Host a hustings
You have your list, maybe a long list, of candidates, and want to know where each stands on cycling and what, if anything, they’re going to do if elected. How do you quiz and pin them down publicly? A hustings – an event where political parties or candidates are invited to address voters and debate a given topic – is the answer, says Zak Viney, Cycling UK campaigns officer.
a. Why do it? For politicians, a hustings is a chance to win voters over and debate with rival candidates; for cycle advocates, it’s a unique opportunity to quiz them on policy and their commitment to, for example, cycle infrastructure, road safety, or space for bikes on public transport. We know events like this work. For the national elections last year, Cycling UK co-hosted hustings in both Scotland and Wales, putting cycling on the agenda and inspiring warm cross-party commitment.5 Cycling UK also applied pressure at the London Mayoral hustings in 2016, asking candidates to commit to safer, direct vision lorries. Sadiq Khan, the successful contender, subsequently launched the ‘Direct Vision Standard’.6
Watch at: cyclinguk.org/event/watch-again-scotlands-cycling-and-sustainable-travel-hustings & cyclinguk.org/event/watch-again-active-travel-hustings-wales 6 cyclinguk.org/news/20160630-mayor-promises-autumn-plan-safer-lorries 5
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b. What to talk about? • Decide on the key theme(s) and title your hustings accordingly – will your event focus specifically on cycling, or incorporate wider, but complementary themes, such as active travel in general, the environment, road safety and/or public transport? • If your theme is wider than cycling, perhaps you could identify and collaborate with other local groups campaigning in the relevant fields?
c. Online or in-person? Up to you! Both hosting methods have their advantages and drawbacks.
Online • Pick a meeting platform commonly used for online gatherings with a simple interface, such as Zoom. Compared to paid accounts, free accounts may be limited, so check which suits your requirements best. • Online’s not for everyone, though. While candidates and the audience can attend from the comfort of their homes, not everyone has (or wants) the technology, and some suffer poor internet speeds.
In-person • In plenty of time ahead of the hustings, secure a venue, ideally in a central hub within your local area, ensuring that it’s inclusive – i.e. accessible by people with disabilities and anyone using public transport. When booking, match the size and profile of your event with the venue’s capacity – factor in the type of election (national/mayoral/councillor), scope of themes and size of the campaigning networks involved. Check out the cycle parking too. • To widen the event’s reach during and after, hire all the equipment you need to film it. You’ll also need microphones and a PA system so that everyone can hear the debate in progress.
d. Invitees? Candidates • Design your hustings to be ‘non-selective’, so that it doesn’t promote any particular candidate. Invite candidates/parties with a variety of views, across different parts of the political spectrum. You don’t have to invite them all, but make sure you have a valid reason for any omissions. For more, read The Electoral Commission’s good practice recommendations for non-selective hustings.7 electoralcommission.org.uk/are-you-holding-a-hustings/non-selective-hustings-good-practicerecommendations (May 2021) 7
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• To invite party candidates, reach out via their national headquarters. The party can then choose its local delegate. Don’t hesitate to follow-up after your initial email – political parties are busy during election time, so they might take some time to respond. • For local ward hustings, consider inviting independent candidates as well. • Request a photo and short biography from each candidate for an event pack, and publish it in advance to help the audience pose informed questions. • Invite each candidate to prepare an introductory statement of 1-2 minutes on the day (be strict with timings).
Audience • Set up a registration system so you know how many to expect. Consider an online platform such as Eventbrite. • Encourage your audience to RSVP by a cut-off date and give them the option to presubmit questions, by email or an online survey platform. • Spread the word to local networks of like-minded campaigners and groups, and encourage them to do the same; reach out to community groups and schools; advertise in public buildings (e.g. libraries, council offices); advertise in the local press – newspapers might also send a reporter. (See sections 4 and 5 on media relations). • Extend your outreach to social media. Create an online Facebook event and share among local community group pages; engage with the speakers on social media, asking them to publicise their attendance. (See section 6 on social media). • Keep your messages direct and concise. Always return to three points: what the hustings are, when they are taking place, and how to attend.
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e. On the day Timing •
Depending on the number of candidates and audience, aim for 1-2 hours.
Helpers • Chairperson: see below. • Technical support (online): acts as designated ‘meeting host’, supporting the Chairperson by muting or unmuting people, drawing attention to audience members who want to pose questions and troubleshooting technical issues in the event chat. • Technical support (in-person): leads on setting up, testing and use of video and audio systems. They could also support the host during the event, spotting audience members who’d like to pose questions, and sharing the microphone. • Broadcaster: live-streams/live-tweets the event. This will act as a record for any postevent media, while keeping the online community informed and stimulated.
Key role: chairperson • The chairperson introduces and oversees the event efficiently and fairly, keeping it on track, posing questions, inviting responses from the room and taking questions from the floor. They should be confident and impartial – a member of your group, or a local journalist may be ideal. • Once everyone’s settled, the Chairperson should: welcome all; outline the event; introduce candidates, also explaining who’s not there and why; go through how to participate; if you’re filming or recording, tell everyone and allow people to opt-out; invite speakers to deliver their short introductory statements; oversee question time (see below); if time, offer candidates the chance to deliver a final few words. • So that the chairperson can fulfil their role well, they’ll need an information pack in advance. This should cover: agenda, timings, candidates’ details and background, photos, and pre-submitted questions including your own (no one else may have thought of them!).
Question time Question-time should occupy most of the evening. • Go for a mixture of pre-submitted questions delivered by the Chairperson, and questions from the audience. The Chairperson should feel free to ask candidates direct questions, if they wish. • Not all candidates need to answer every question.
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• Avoid ruts: be prepared to move on from silly, irrelevant, repetitive or vexatious questions. • Allow each candidate or party representative a chance to answer and, where appropriate, a reasonable opportunity to respond to points made by other candidates.
f. What next? • Thank all candidates, event volunteers and audience members for turning out. • Write-up a report or written minutes. Keep this accurate and impartial, allowing readers to form their own opinions. • Share your report far and wide (local media, campaign groups, social media). • Don’t lose momentum! Let audience members know how to keep in touch, what they can do next both during the elections and beyond.
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3.
Stage a stunt or action
You need the public and decision-makers to sit up and take your election campaigning message on board but, even with the internet and 24-hour news, you’re finding it difficult to attract any notice. Jim Densham, our campaigns manager in Scotland recommends eye-catching stunt action, and offers some tips on going about it creatively and effectively.
a. What is a stunt or action? A stunt is a headline-grabbing, focussed event designed to send a message to the public and decision-makers. They can be big and complicated, such as a mass cycle ride, or small and quick, e.g. hanging a banner in public or a photocall outside parliament. We don’t recommend extreme stunts or protests, such as chaining yourself to railings or climbing buildings, or actions involving a high level of danger – imagine the risk assessment! And please don’t break the law.
b. Objectives An effective stunt or action should: • Make a visual impression. You want to turn heads, generating photos and film that attract attention in the media or on social media. • Be relevant. For media attention, you need a ‘hook’, something that makes the story timely or urgent. • Be innovative. Again, to pique media interest and excite public notice, choose something people can’t miss, something they haven’t seen before. The media gets bored with the same old story.
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• Tell your campaign message. Design the stunt or action so that’s it’s easily understandable and relevant to what you want to put across. • Account for your audience. Make decision-makers notice and grasp your message.
c. What to consider • Location – mostly, stunts and actions are held outside or in a public place, and where it’s relevant to the message, such as: • Where the decision-makers are, e.g. outside the town hall • Where the problem(s) is/are, e.g. to illustrate where a new cycle lane is needed • An iconic or recognisable place locally. •
Timing • If possible, time your action to coincide with another event, e.g. a conference, election or council meeting. • You can’t control the weather, but a sunny day makes all the difference – alternatively, a well-lit night-time action can look fantastic. • Lunchtime or a weekend may well attract more supporters.
• Permissions – depending on the location, check whether you need permission from the council, police or other party, e.g. for a gathering or mass bike ride. • Supporters – decide if you want supporters to attend (none, a few, or as many as possible). A diverse group is preferable, and the media love to feature children at events. • Invitations – do you want to invite decision-makers to attend to hear your message or, for example, to receive a petition? • Press release – tell the local or national media when, where and why you’re staging the stunt. (See sections 4 and 5 on media relations). • Props – placards, visuals, inflatables, costumes – anything to display prominently, add colour, attract attention, look good in a photo, turn heads or make people smile. Be creative. Use humour if relevant. • Noise – megaphone and whistles – make some noise to attract attention. Think up some catchy chants.
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Photos and film: • Phone photos are great, but a professional photographer will take good quality shots. Ensure you take photos of any politicians, celebrities or decision-makers who support the campaign – preferably standing by a banner, placard or prop. (See section 4 for more on photos). • A film can take your campaign to another level – short clips on a phone can be good for social media. Film some brief interviews with supporters or decisionmakers too.
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Social media – use the social media outlets you control and ask supporters to share: • Live tweets – try to get your action trending immediately on social media • Hashtag – create a simple hashtag for twitter and social media. (See section 5 for more on social media)
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Follow-up: • Tell the decision-makers what happened, the impact and your message. • Tell your supporters what happened. • Use your photos and film in your future communications.
d. Examples of stunts, actions and photocalls • Mass gatherings – e.g. outside parliament, council offices or other location where the decision-makers are. During COP26 in Glasgow, GoBike supporters lined the streets to the venue with cyclists highlighting the slogan ‘This Machine Fights Climate Change’. • Mass cycle ride – along the lines of Cycle on the Senedd8 or a Kidical Mass ride.9 • Petition handover – an organised event to hand over any signatures you’ve collected. • Photocall – a visually strong action to attract press photographers. • Banners/props – display safely in public. • Light projection – project visuals onto a building or structure (see left).10 • A pop-up installation – e.g. a pedestrian crossing (but somewhere safe). • A vigil – to show respect and highlight road danger.
http://cardiffcyclecity.org/campaigns/cycle-on-the-senedd/ facebook.com/KidicalMass/ 10 cyclinguk.org/cop26-cycling-fights-climate-change 8 9
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4.
Embrace the media
A major part of campaigning always involves broadcasting, but it comes into its own at election time. Local newspapers, radio stations and television channels are hungry for polls-related news, so seize the moment for yours. It’s a good moment to seize the narrative too. As all cycling advocates know, media coverage isn’t always all that flattering to cycling. Any suspicion of conflict between cyclists and others is a magnet for journalists and presenters who regularly blow it up out of all proportion or even invent it. But, with the media buzzing around for election news, cycling’s hot topic status gives it a useful toe in the door. So, shower local news desks with tales of your bike buddying rides for candidates, your hustings and stunts (see sections 1 - 3 above), put cycling in a good light, explain why decision-makers should encourage it and, at the same time, dispel all those downright myths. The following advice has been compiled over many years by Cycling UK’s communications team. The basics apply all year round and to all the material you want to shout about, but now that we’re in the run-up to May 2022, there’s no better time to go all out, embrace your local papers, radio and television, and inspire voters and candidates – your community – to understand and support the cause. We look at social media in particular in Section 5, and the skill of letter writing in Section 6.
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a. Where to place your message Effective, proactive media relations start with effective targeting. • Companies spend fortunes on focus groups to find out which media its target customers use, but you don’t need to go that far. Simply think about the kind of people you wish to influence and, if possible, ask them where they tend to go for local news. • While you’ll probably find it easier to approach local newspapers/magazines (and they often cover stories in most detail), don't discount local radio and television. They may seem intimidating, but they do have airtime to fill.
b. Be savvy • Imagine what will appeal to your target audience and frame your story accordingly. However strongly you feel about something, there’s no guarantee that readers, listeners or viewers will be interested too, so hooks and pitches are everything (see below). • Likewise, remember that your passions may not be the media’s. Even if the journalist/researcher you talk to sounds sympathetic, remember that they’re working for a business and their overall objective is to sell their product. • Once your information is in the media’s hands, key aspects of your message may go missing or even be turned around completely. Indeed, the only way to guarantee editorial control is to pay for an advertisement. • Regional media are generally only interested if there is a regional angle.
c. Standing out in the crowd with a hook As PR consultancies will tell you, hooks draw people into your story and excite their curiosity even if it’s not something that usually interests them. Here’s some ideas: • Market research/surveys – remember to frame your survey questions with an eye to the headlines you’re trying to generate. Local media may be happy with a fairly informal poll of a few hundred people. • Celebrity endorsement – has anyone around you cultivated a local celebrity? Is it worth approaching them? • Human interest – do you know anyone who’s using cycling to help rehabilitate them after suffering a health problem? • Statistics – whatever you think of statistics, they often make a good headline. There’s lots to choose from on Cycling UK’s website – www.cyclinguk.org/statistics • Involve journalists in person – invite them to your events, to chair your hustings or sample one of your bike rides/stunts for example. • Dress in a furry costume.
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d. Pitching your story on the phone You may have no more than thirty seconds with a journalist/researcher to pitch your idea. They’ll rarely resent being called, but will waste no time in telling you if they’re not interested. So, • After introducing yourself, ask if it's a good time to discuss your story – deadlines can make some days, or particular times of the day, extremely busy for journalists. • Don't ramble. Draft a press release before you call and refer to it in your pitch. The journalist may ask to see one anyway. • If you’re not sure what’s going to interest the journalist, ask them up front, but don't lose sight of the message you want to put across. • If your topic is contentious, remember that nothing is ever ‘off the record’. • Journalistic deadlines are not flexible. If you agree to call or send information by a set time, honour the agreement.
e. Get your press release / story in print Press release Few stories / press releases make it into print but, to maximise your chance: • Make your point on one side of A4 paper (or the equivalent). • Keep it simple. Alter the style of your writing to suit the publication and its audience, but remember the purpose of the release is to give journalists the facts. • Use a short eye-catching headline. • Pare your first paragraph down to no more than two sentences and make sure it summarises your entire message – sub-editors cut from the bottom. • Avoid jargon at all costs. • Date the release at the top so that the news editor can see that the story is current. • Attribute quotes to a named (and if possible, senior) individual, and make sure they’ll be available for comment. Journalists often want to speak to whoever is named on the release. • Include contact details at the bottom. • Include essential finer details in ‘Notes to editors’ at the bottom, too. • Proofread before sending, preferably asking someone else to read it.
Features Features are lengthier than ‘hard’ news, usually delving into the background behind the headlines. This is where you can go to town about why you’re holding a hustings, or inviting candidates to tour your neighbourhood on a bike with you, for example. • Ring the media outlet’s features editor. • Don’t pitch a half-baked idea. Work it up properly, and be primed to ‘sell’ it competently. Editors can’t deal with waffle, may be pushed for space and must justify every inch of it. They might ask for modifications, so be prepared for that. 17
• Don’t pester editors if they are patently not interested. It may not be a good week and hassling journalists might put them off calling you back (ever). • If you’re part of a group, don't hog the limelight – credit and mention others. • Supply a good copy of your logo and link to your website – and make sure that they’ll be included in the finished item. • Don’t rant in your article. Make it entertaining, interesting and informative. Again, think about your audience, and aim it at them. If you’re going to mention road collisions, you’ll find some guidelines at: rc-rg.com/guidelines.
Photographs Whatever you want published, accompanying it with photographs helps. • If you’re organising an event, make sure that someone has been appointed to take pictures. • Think of an unusual approach to tell your story, but keep compositions simple and not too ambitious. (The photo below comes from our ‘Real Yellow Jersey’ award scheme). • Submit all photos with a caption and your contact details. • If you’d like press photographers to come along, issue a ‘photocall’, quoting the date, time and location together with a brief explanation of what can be photographed. Follow up by phone, including one day before the event. • If you have a budget, see if you can employ a local newspaper's staff photographer. Their experience will help produce good, well composed photos, and their contacts should improve your chances of appearing in print. Brief them clearly.
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f. Radio and TV • Contact the newsroom and the forward planning desk. • Keep calling the television station to remind them (right up until the day itself) as their schedules change on a day-to-day basis (although remember the advice about not hassling if they’re obviously not interested in your story). • Remember that radio stations often have feature programmes that may cover your story in more detail.
Interviews Interviews earn you a wider audience than print but, whether you’ve engineered an interview yourself or been invited, it can be a daunting experience. Preparation • Establish exactly what the broadcasters will be interviewing you about, when it’ll begin, when they need you to arrive/stand by your phone, how long it’ll be for and what format it’ll take. If you’re not clear, ask. • Ask if others will be commenting too or phoning in. • If you have the option, arrange to go to the studio for the interview rather than stay at home – you’ll be sharper and more attentive and the quality of your voice will be better. If you’re going to interviewed at home, arrange to supress any background noise/movement in your household/room/garden at the appointed hour. • Boil down what you want to say into three key points that you’ll be able to put across straightaway. You’ll probably only have a few minutes, and part of that will be taken up with introductions and questions. • Prepare memory-jogging notes for any facts you wish to quote. • Rehearse your points with someone taking the role of the interviewer. This can build confidence, calm any nerves and prompt you to explore the topic from different angles. • Try to anticipate questions and have answers ready. Don’t assume you’ll only be asked questions on the stated / prearranged topic, especially if it’s a phone-in. • Imagine what you’d think of an interviewee looking/sounding like you. What impression are they (you) creating? Would you take them seriously? Would something about them distract you from what they were saying? If your imagination fails you, ask a critical friend to be honest. • Think carefully and pragmatically about what to wear and how appropriate it’ll be for the occasion. British viewers are more likely to listen if you are conservatively dressed, and a professional look is important even for radio interviews – it may encourage the broadcaster to call on you again. If the topic doesn’t demand Lycra, but you turn up wearing it, you risk being unhelpfully stereotyped by journalists, presenters and audience alike (unfair as this is). • Avoid doing anything that might make journalists trivialise what you’re hoping to put across – e.g. wobbling into a studio on a penny-farthing to discuss election manifestos. (Penny-farthings would be perfectly okay, of course, if on-topic).
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On the day • Be like a coiled spring with your thoroughly rehearsed three key points and punchy soundbite. Never save a key point for later – it might be too late. • If nerves bite, deep breathing may help, and so might remembering that you won’t be recognised in the street afterwards if you’ve been on radio, and it’s pretty unlikely that anyone will match you up with your on-screen image if you’ve appeared on television. • If on TV, look at the interviewer and don’t be distracted by movements behind them. The viewer will want to know what you are looking at. • Don’t be afraid of … o … pauses – don’t gabble fill to them. Refer to your notes if stuck but, if in front of a camera, try not to look down too much because it can make you look shifty. o … microphones – they improve your voice! Sit/stand at hand’s length away and don’t distract the audience by shuffling papers, fiddling with a pen etc. o … not answering every single question. Watch politicians – they usually sidestep some (most, in some cases) questions and keep circling back to the point (soundbite) they are determined to make. Do this if you’re asked an irrelevant question as well. • Try not to be forced on to the defensive – e.g. if they say everyone loathes cyclists, who don’t deserve any investment because they ignore the facilities built for them etc. turn the story round. Say, for instance, that this isn’t your experience, cycling is popular with families and some need dedicated facilities (children and novices), but others prefer the road because of the type of riding they do. • Don’t dwell on negative aspects – acknowledge them but stay positive. If you’re asked about cycling in the rain, maybe say: ‘According to the Met Office, there are only 52 days in the average year which are defined as 'rainy'.’ • Don’t go with the ‘cyclists v everyone else’ narrative. We’re all human beings and most of us also drive, walk, catch buses, trains …. • Remain calm, reasonable and altruistic if you’re faced with an irate interviewer or guest. You’ll earn the audience’s respect if you refuse to be drawn into an antagonistic blame game to feed the media’s appetite for conflict. • If the interview is being pre-recorded, stop the interview in the event of a stumbling block. This will force them to re-record and give you thinking time. • Be wary of words being put into your mouth. ‘The A123 is so busy it’s too dangerous for many cyclists isn’t it?’ ‘Well, yes, but….’ Headline: ‘Cycling is too dangerous and should be banned from the A123’. • Don’t make up policy on the hoof. You could end up splitting your group. Stay on message, remember your soundbite, and remain focused. • Don’t libel anyone in a live interview – it can’t be edited out. 20
5.
Promote your messages on social media
Want to get your campaign off the ground and give it momentum? We’ve mentioned social media several times in this toolkit, but how do you use it your best advantage? Hannah Duncan, Cycling UK’s digital and social media officer, tells us that Twitter tends to be the most effective campaigning platform to widen public support and flag messages to decision-makers. Read on for Hannah’s guide on how to do this, together with some suggestions for Facebook.
a. Reach the right people With almost 80% of the UK’s population on social media, targeting is key. Here are some ways you can reach the right audience: • Follow the accounts of relevant individuals and organisations, including local cycle clubs, politicians and like-minded campaigners. • Jump on relevant conversations, especially those initiated by the accounts above or posts featuring relevant hashtags. Engage by liking, commenting and sharing posts. • Use hashtags which fit your niche to extend your reach. It’s worth including two to three hashtags per post, though avoid more than this as it can appear spammy. We recommend experimenting with generic, cycle-themed hashtags (i.e. #cycling or #cyclists) as well as location-specific hashtags (i.e. #Belfast or #Cardiff). • Tag relevant individuals/organisations in your posts as they may choose to share your content. If there is no space in the tweet itself due to character limit, you can tag up to ten accounts in an attached image. Don’t bombard other accounts with tags, so do this sparingly when there is a shared connection. Numerous politicians are active on Twitter and it’s worth tweeting them directly if there is a specific action you want them to take.
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• It’s sometimes worth direct messaging key contacts on Twitter and asking them to help promote your campaign, especially if they have a large following and the right audience. Click the share icon on your tweet to see the option ‘Send via Direct Message’. • Retain a loyal following by responding to comments and following back supporter accounts. • If you’re on Facebook, join relevant interest groups active in your local area, and engage in conversation with your campaign message. It usually works best when you do so via your personal profile, keeping it natural and avoiding a salesy approach.
b. Stop them scrolling on The average person spends over two hours a day on social media, but how do you stop them scrolling past your post? Here’s how to grab attention and boost engagement: • Post regularly to build a consistent online presence. On Twitter we recommend aiming for at least one post per day, while on Facebook three times per week is a good target. • Upload a high-quality image or short video with your post to support your message. Videos on Twitter can be no longer than 2 minutes 20 seconds. • It’s sometimes worth creating a unique campaign hashtag as this allows you to create a movement and monitor engagement. Keep it simple and readable, and reflect your message. A recent, successful example is #ThisMachineFightsClimateChange from Pedal on Parliament in Scotland11 ahead of COP26. • Make it really clear how people can take action from a post and support your cause. If your campaign is ongoing, you could pin a strong post to the top of your profile so that it is the first people see when they view your account.
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https://twitter.com/POPScotland
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Strengthen your case by: • Including interesting statistics • Highlighting real-life stories and examples • Sharing external news stories and articles Bike Is Best12 and London Cycling Campaign13 use these tactics effectively.
c. The dos and don’ts Many factors determine whether a social media post will be successful, but there are also some standard rules to bear in mind. Here are some final things to consider: • Always check over your post before publishing, paying attention to spelling and grammar, accuracy and tone. • Be polite and professional. Campaigners need to stand up for what they believe and be firm, but it’s important to keep it respectful and avoid getting into fights – once a post is out there, it’s out there forever. • Keep it clear and concise. Ensure your copy is neat and easily readable, using line breaks and URL shorteners, avoiding caps lock and acronyms.
d. One last thing If you’re not already, please follow Cycling UK on Twitter.14 By engaging with our content, not only will you support our campaign work for safer roads and improved access for cycling across the UK, you will also boost the visibility of your own account. If you are able to tag us in your posts, we will do our best to like and/or share to help extend your reach.
https://twitter.com/BikeIsBestHQ https://twitter.com/London_Cycling 14 https://twitter.com/WeAreCyclingUK 12 13
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6.
Write to your local paper
Whether or not local papers truly reflect the views of the electorate in any representative way, few candidates will ignore what they say. The letters page may be an especially compelling read for them but, unfortunately for cycling advocates, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that a rant about cyclists will, at some point, meet their eye. So, write something positive, let the editor and all readership know why life’s better by bike, and that tomorrow – with a supportive council/administration – could be different. What’s more, you can take this action from the comfort of your own sofa. Here are some top tips from Duncan Dollimore, Cycling UK’s head of campaigns:
a. Know your publication • Familiarise yourself with your paper’s audience and the type of letters it publishes. • You can use the generic address for letter submissions but, if you can find out who edits the Letters Page, try to make contact directly. • If you’re a local campaigner and this is the first time you’ve written in, introduce yourself to the editor, explaining who you represent. If your letters are up to scratch, they may approach you for comment in future as well.
b. Be local • This is your local paper – they want your thoughts on what’s relevant to the patch they cover and where you live. You can, of course, bring in the wider picture, but do all you can to make what you say resonate with and for your community.
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c. Be topical and timely •
Hang your comments on what’s on the public’s mind – elections ‘22, in this case.
Cycling UK’s manifestos, one for each of the four UK nations, may be a good place to start: cyclinguk.org/elections-2022
• Your letter stands an especially good chance if you’re responding to an article, comment or a previously published letter. Reference this in your letter. • If you’re responding to something that’s already appeared in the paper, do so in a timely matter. It’s no good addressing points made a fortnight ago: news moves on.
d. Be concise, focused and truthful • The Times is notoriously strict about the length of the letters it publishes. Your local paper might not be so rigid, but learn from the nationals and be concise, aiming for no more than 250 words (it’s much less for the Times). With space at a premium, fewer words improve your chances – and make your message more powerful. • Make one point, not several. • Don’t lie or generalise – back up your point with facts (see: cyclinguk.org/statistics).
e. Be persistent • Don’t be put off by failures. Letter writing takes time to perfect, but even perfection won’t guarantee publication.
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7.
Set up and plan a new campaign
Want help with your bike rides for candidates, husting, stunts and media appearances? Can’t find a local cycle campaign group? Discovered, to your horror, that there used to be one, but it’s fizzled? Chances are, though, that you’ve already met people who share your goals and thinking. As mentioned in the Foreword, support for active travel schemes and investment is widespread – far greater, in fact, than many local and national politicians assume. But they need to hear this from their electorate – and not just up to May 5, but inbetween times too, from polling-day to polling-day way into the future. So now’s the time to initiate, refresh or revive a local campaign to orchestrate supporters and structure advocacy activities. There’s no need to apply the ideas below rigidly, of course – campaigns are not all the same, so adapt the advice below to suit your objectives.
a. Basic checklist • Choose a campaign name – concise, understandable and relevant (a working title is fine while you’re in setting-up mode). • Convene a core group of likeminded people, with a view to establishing a formal steering group in due course, assigning specific roles and responsibilities to its members. • Be inclusive – engage with and learn from existing and would-be cyclists of all ages and abilities. • Set up an independent website, or negotiate with a host or partner organisation for a webpage. Sometimes a Facebook page can do this job. • Arrange a separate email account (unless it’s a campaign from an existing group • Register social media accounts (if you don’t already have them), i.e.: • Facebook – for posts to followers. • Twitter – for regular short updates and raising profile with decision-makers and a wider audience. • Instagram – for posting photos (More on social media in Section 6)
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b. Write a Campaign Plan A solid campaign plan helps keep everyone focused. Ask yourselves the following questions and document the answers: • What’s your central goal/aim/ask? One main ask/demand is powerful, e.g. more accessible infrastructure overall. • What do you need to do to achieve your goal? Grow local support? Win over politicians? Establish your profile? (All of the above and more, probably). Go for SMART objectives here. 15 • What’s behind your goal(s)? Think of this as your ‘manifesto’, outlining what you want and the justification for it. • What are your values? These help set your campaign’s tone. Do you want everyone to engage in gentle consensus-building, or would you rather they were provocative? • Who has the power to do what you want them to do? Approach this like a mapping exercise (include political representatives and paid council officers). • How are you going to influence your decision-makers, now that you’ve identified them? For this, write an ‘Advocacy Plan’ (see section 8 below). • How are you going to communicate your messages? This could probably do with a distinct ‘Communications Plan’, including a timetable of opportunities / hooks. (See Sections 4 and 5 on embracing the media).
c. Show and tell • Stock up on photos, graphics and diagrams for local/social media, leaflets, posters, manifesto etc. Pictures of a horrible junction or crossing point needing urgent treatment will probably come to mind, but collect positive, aspirational images too, e.g. of parents and children enjoying a cycle ride together. It’ll show why you’re so keen on making cycling more accessible for everyone, and brighten your messaging as well. Encourage supporters to take photos and post to social media tagging the campaign. • Use short mobile phone videos, telling personal stories of your local supporters.
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There’s much advice on SMART objectives online.
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d. Up your support Events • Organise an inaugural meeting of key local people. • Stage a high profile launch to attract the media and elected/prospective members. • Introduce your campaign to as wide an audience as possible via a webinar. Advertise on social media and any other local channels you can think of. • Organise hustings (Section 2), stunts (Section 3), photocalls, mass rides, bike rides for prospective councillors/other political representatives (Section 1), Twitter storms etc.
Contacts & connections • Brainstorm local organisations who may be sympathetic, then contact them. • Go to meetings of other local community groups/campaigns to announce your initiative. • Create an online tool inviting people to register their support for your campaign, and always remember to point everyone to it (including people you meet at in-person or online events). So that you don’t miss out on passive and, crucially, active support, ask them to tell you: 1) ‘Yes, I really like the sound of your campaign, or 2) Yes, I want this to happen and will help. (If you’re going to process personal data, make sure you comply with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).16 • Establish contact with council staff responsible for roads, active travel, communities etc. If it’s not clear who they are, call the council.
Communications • • • •
Implement your Comms Plan (see above) Spread your message on social media (see Section 5). Publish a series of blogs / reports (e.g. revealing the results of a local survey) Talk to the local papers about news stories and features (see Section 4)
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https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/711 097/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr-1-0.pdf
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8.
Write an ‘Advocacy Plan’
You’ve thought about your campaign, and now you want the people in power (or, at election time, potentially in power) to turn your hopes, wishes and dreams into reality. You won’t be at a complete loss, we’re sure, but if you’re looking for tips to help crystalise and frame your thoughts, here’s twenty template questions to ask yourself / yourselves (copy them into a table so that you have the space to write down your answers): 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
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What’s your campaign name? What do you want to see in general? What change(s) are you after specifically? (Three interrelated things, max.) Are there any relevant documents and, if so, where are they? Where do you want the change to happen? (Nationally, locally, specific road?) Is there already a movement for this (i.e. is it in the public consciousness?) Does this touch on any other issue(s)? Are there any risks to manage? Are you being realistic? Are your objectives SMART?17 Who has the power to make this happen? (List individuals/organisations, by name if possible) What does your target decision-maker(s) (or, if a politician, their party) think? If you don’t know, can you find out? What’s in it for your decision-maker(s)? What are your messages, and what words are you going to use for them? Who will be affected by the change you want to see? Who are your beneficiaries? Who’s going to think they’ll lose out? Who are your allies and partners? (List the usual suspects, but think of others who might not realise the benefits of your campaign) Who will run the campaign? Who’s in your Campaigns Team? What are their roles? Who’s leading/going to sign off? (Include contact details and any job title). How much is it all going to cost? Who’s controlling the budget? Will you need to fundraise and, if so, who will you approach? What activities are you going to carry out? What’s the timeline? Who’s going to do what and when (meetings/media)? This is your activity plan – keep it alive, and up to date. How are you going to review your plan and gauge success, stage-by-stage? How are you going to review progress? (hold regular meetings and report progress to supporters).
For more on SMART objectives, search online.
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Conclusion We wish you all the best for any actions you take to make politicians realise that their support for active travel is a vote-winner. We hope the ideas above help inspire you up until 5 May 2022 and beyond. Please do keep us posted. Also, everyone who wants to see more people cycling and walking, better and safer infrastructure and decision-makers investing properly in cycling, are more than welcome to join our Cycle Advocacy Network. Find out more here:
cyclinguk.org/can
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