This will put a smile on your face

This is my local constabulary. Does anyone know if there is any actual evidence behind this beyond "deemed", or do I need to FOI them? I think that if we actually had some cycle tracks without anti-cycling barriers, there would be fewer cyclists on the roads to be run down.

Labour MP Clive Betts seems to be another of those MPs who think that all of his constituents drive cars: none of them ride bikes or catch buses. And none of them are at all worried about climate change, pollution, congestion or dead cyclists. "Betts went as far as to describe the whole scheme to the BBC as “a complete waste of money”, “not necessary” and “a cycle lane to nowhere” I wish that this idiot was my MP (who is bad enough) as he would be getting a broadside from me, and demands that at least tries to be sensible sometimes. Honestly, MPs are supposed to be relatively intelligent.

@the infamous grouse It is the job of the defence solicitor to put the best possible case for their client. I think the defendant is a disgusting individual of little worth who deserves to be hit with the harshest possible sentence having now been convicted. I suspect you do too. But the role of the defence here, is to defend. It is the role of the jury to determine to what extent that defence holds up (as well as to consider the extent to which the prosecution has made its case). They have done so. Justice has been served in all regards. Having defending legal representation, whatever the crime, is a necessary cornerstone of our justice system. They have to be there for the worst people as well as those who are innocent and everyone in-between. The alternative is not a system we want to get into.

While I can only applaud the jury for their verdict, it gives me little joy. Two lives have been ruined when it could all have been so easily avoided. The state of mind of Simon Richardson is not mentioned, but he must be some kind of sociopath to behave so incredibly callously. My thoughts are with the family and friends of Michael Mullins, and I hope that this brings some closure to them.

@mitsky The mentality of, 'its just a cyclist' pervades throughout society and discourse, and is normalised to the extent that the killer likely believed this and therefore thought he would be judged in a more lenient way by the courts and by peers, which is what we see all of the time, both in sentencing and by the reporting in some media. It will be interesting to see how the media overall portrays this killer over coming days and I expect the hostility towards the cyclist community to be on full display (sadly!).

A perfect example where I advocate for loss of taste buds and libido as a deterrent. Because clearly, the murderer felt he could try to get away with it by his actions. Both at the time and next day to try to evade arrest. And even if arrested his belief might have been he'd get a relatively lenient sentence because... "it was just a cyclist"... Because we see so many lenient sentences when drivers KSI cyclists.

Only a cynic would suggest that some of them might have thought there was political capital to be had in deliberately running out the clock so that they could claim they were being 'forced' to put in 20 limits that 'didn't make sense' and then 'fighting back' by taking them out again...

@jaymack Must have moved recently - I could have sworn he lives near me.

@DrG82 I think the LAs bungled the exceptions. They had plenty of time in the run up to the implementation date to apply exceptions but mostly frittered this time away. Regardless, I think that the reduction in casualties brings financial savings not just to the NHS but the economy as a whole and makes it a great investment.

@the little onion the level of self-deception required to honestly and truthfully attempt such an argument seems in opposition of service to the crown. antithetical, even.