Emily Thornberry was joined on her usual bike ride to Westminster this morning by Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn and 24 other MPs and peers.
The group of parliamentary cyclists, which also included Transport Minister Derek Twigg, rode together from St Pancras to the Houses of Parliament along Central London cycle routes as part of UK Bike Week.
Frank Dobson MP, whose constituency includes St Pancras, welcomed the group of cyclists to start their bike ride there - on the condition that they promised to keep off the pavements!
Emily is keen to promote regular cycling because it is:
-
Healthier: cycling tackles illnesses like coronary heart disease, which kills more than more than 110,000 people in England every year
-
Greener: London tops the European league for pollution and congestion and cycling helps to cut both
-
Faster: The average person spends about nine days a year in a car - cycling is often an affordable and reliable alternative
Emily said:
"I want to encourage more people to cycle regularly if they can - it's healthy and green, and it's more affordable in the long run than running a car or buying a travelcard. Riding a bike is also usually the fastest way to get around London - although keeping all the MPs together slowed us down a bit today!"
Later this morning in the Commons, Prime Minister Tony Blair congratulated the MPs from all parties for promoting cycling to work by going on today's bike ride.