Vote Mountains!

Okay, apparently there's some sort of election on, and apparently quite a lot of folk aren't sure who you should be voting for. Now, we're not suggesting that anyone should vote for a party purely on the basis of their policies towards the outdoors, but we thought it'd be interesting to take a quick look a the major parties and see what they have to say for themselves. Don't expect detailed political analysis, but here's a quick look at a few major outoors issues and where the parties seem to stand...

Just in case you hadn't noticed, the current government was responsible for the passage of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act which has opened up the Right To Roam in England and Wales. The consultation process has been time consuming but thorough and the actual opening up of access land is still going on in a phased process.

The whole thing recalls the association of the Labour Party with the Kinder Trespass and the historical battle to open up the countryside. However, the CRoW legislation doesn't make it into the top 50 list of government achievements on the Labour Party web site...

At the time of the legislation, the Conservatives claimed the process would be bureacratic, cumbersome and divide town from country and demanded compensation for landowners forced to open up their properly. They also argued in parliament, that walkers should only be allowed on open access land an hour before sunrise and should be forced to leave within an hour of sunset...

The Conservative Party web site, while stressing its desire to overturn the hunting ban and introduce more controls on phone masts, doesn't seem to mention the right to roam. The Tories are, on record, however, as supporting the parts of the Act aimed at protecting the environment.

The Liberal Democrats supported the Bill, but also stressed that the legislation shouldn't put a financial burden on landowners.

Conclusion It's hard to argue that the Countryside and Rights of Way act is anything other than a step forward for walkers and climbers. Some of our rights of way legislation still leads a lot to be desired and is archaic, but opening up new areas to walkers is a big plus.

Ofsted inspectors last year reported that many schools in England and Wales no longer take pupils on outdoor activity trips largely out of a fear of being sued if there is an accident and one teachers' union reportedly advises its members to avoid going on school trips for this reason.

All the parties appear to agree that schools should be encouraged to run out-of-classroom activites with the shadow education secretary on record as saying: "We will ensure that head teachers will have the power to require parents to sign a waiver explaining that they accept the inherent risks of these trips."

Despite fear of litigation, most sources agree that there has been no great rise in the number of cases coming to court in this area anyway.

Overall, all the main parties appear to agree that the decline in school trips should be reversed - the Lib Dems say the Government should support teachers against 'frivolous claims', Labour says "We want to ensure that all children benefit from a rich and diverse education, not just the well off."

The Labour party has also supported initiatives like the Mosaic Project aimed at introducing the underprivileged and ethnic minorites to the outdoors.

Conclusion They all believe that school trips are a good thing and the decline should be reversed though none of them major on this issue in their election manifesto.

Part of the Labour government's health agenda is an investment in improving fitness based on the 2004 White Paper on health. It's pledged to encourage walking and cycling as part of making 'healthy lifestyle choices' through promotional campaigns. Pressure groups like the Ramblers Assocaition hope to use the Government's commitment to improving public fitness to open up obstructed rights of way and promote the outdoors.

Local authorities are getting extra funding to facilitate access to the outdoors and Labour is on record as saying: "We will continue funding local authorities and voluntary groups to make cycling and walking more attractive."

The issue doesn't seem to figure in the Conservative manifesto and while the Liberal Democrats have specific proposals to revitalise cycling as part of their transport policy, walking doesn't seem to get a look in.

Conclusion Yep, walking is a peripheral issue for all the main parties, though Labour's commitment to improved public fitness may allow groups like the Rambers some leverage to achieve their aims.

The government has presided over the first new National Park in England and Wales for 50 years in the shape fo the New Forest. It's also seen the creation of the Cairngorms National Park in Scotland and projects like the Pennine Bridleway. A South Downs National Park is also so on the cards.

The local Tory MP's reaction to the New Forest Park was that preservation of the area might better have been achieved with specific legislation rather than imposing the National Park model on the area, which he feared would create excessive bureacracy and an inflexible model.

The Lib Dems are broadly in favour of National Parks.

Conclusion Another plus for Labour who committed to the New Forest National Park in their last manifesto and have carried it through.

A real divisive one this, but the Labout government is increasingly sympathetic to measures aimed at limited the access of off road vehicles like 4x4s and trail bikes to ancient rights of way. A 2004 Government consultation paper on the future of mechanically propelled vehicles in the countryside aims to better manage existing use of green lanes by vehicles and close loopholes allowing the use of ancient rights of way because they were once used by horse and cart transport.

It stops short of the outright ban on off road recreational vehicles that many other outdoors users would welcome, but supports local authorities in their management of the situation. Local authorities now have powers to close green lanes, which are being damaged, by recreational off-roaders often on a seasonal basis, as on the Ridgeway.

The Lib Dems have pledge to tax 4x4s off the roads, calling them 'Chelsea Tractors', but off road driving doesn't really figure as a major campaign issue.

Conclusion Depends on where you're coming from, but the Labour government is edging towards limiting off road recreational vehicles.

Like we said, you'd be daft to vote purely on the basis of parties' policies towards the outdoors and looking at the bigger picture, perhaps the most disillusioning thing of all is that the environment seems to be a non-issue in this election. Sure, the Lib Dems have a section of their manifesto devoted to it and Labour makes the odd vague gesture, but for all three major parties, the economy takes precedence over our long term ecological well being.

That said, in the outdoors, the old cliches seem to hold true with the Tories supporting the interests of the landowners and the Labour government curiously implementing traditional leftwing policies on issues like access and national parks, while the Lib Dems sit very reasonably on the fence.

If you were to vote purely on outdoors issues though, we reckon that the Labour Party would get your vote. On the bigger picture, you'd have to say Green....

Labour Party

Conservative Party

Lib Dems

Green Party

BBC Election Issues page