Anthony Browne MP becomes Cycling Minister following Rishi reshuffle

There’s a new minister responsible for cycling and walking in the Department for Transport – Anthony Browne MP.

The move coincides with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s cabinet reshuffle, notably moving Suella Braverman MP out of the Home Secretary role.

The MP for South Cambridgeshire replaces the Rt Hon Jesse Norman MP in the Dft role, who announced his retirement earlier this week. Jesse Norman has been a regular figure in cycle-relevant news over recent years, from launching the Cycle-Rail Toolkit 3 to playing a role in cycle to work updates. Despite landmark moves like the foundation of Active Travel England and support during lockdown, this government’s record on cycling has taken a less positive turn of late, with funding squeezes and some (sometimes odd) posturing by the incumbents.

Sarah Mitchell, Cycling UK’s chief executive, said: “Cycling UK looks forward to working with Anthony Browne as he takes up the role as the new minister for cycling and walking in England.

“Given the minister’s former role as vice chair of the all party environment group, we know that he will have a strong sense of the environmental benefits of more people choosing to walk and cycle for short local journeys – we hope that he’ll support the policies and funding that help make this a reality.

“We hope the new minister will be able to re-establish the positive rhetoric on our transport options, and ensure we’re maximising the economic, health and environmental benefits there are in having a sustainable transport network that facilitates choice in how we move around.”