The government three days ago (I think) launched its online
Your Freedom [nofollow] initiative, asking members of the public for their ideas on cutting red tape, shedding burdersome regulations and repealing bad or unncesessary laws. Now, a cynical man might suggest it has something of the publicity stunt or consultation "sop" about it, but assuming it is at least somewhat on the level, is there any way this could be used to help ramblers and outdoorsmen of all stripes in the UK?
I must confess, I'm a bit of a casual rambler (family members are much more keen), so I don't encounter problems very often and as such am not aware of what a lot of them are. Being Scots, my understanding is that my position is much more favourable than that of my neighbours to the south (not sure what the position is in Ulster), but there are still a lot of people who complain that the position of enthusiasts throughout the British Isles is pretty poor when compared to, say, the rights enjoyed by people in the Scandanavian countries - "
Everyman's Rights [nofollow]". What ideas would you guys like to submit to a site like Your Freedom? How many stumbling blocks and application processes would you have politicians do away with or steamline? Any regulatory or administrative bodies you would abolish or restructure? For the more gung-ho outdoorsmen, would you propose anything to make it easier for you to camp, build fires, cycle, ski, sledge or ride? If you enjoy your bushcraft, do you find the legislation on blades is particularly overbearing or ill-thought out? Perhaps the rules for buying and importing as much as the rules on carry?
I'd be very interested to hear any of your thoughts, and to see links to any proposals you do post on the site! E-mailing Clegg and co. is one thing, but it would perhaps be more useful to have a well-thought out proposal with a great many five-star ratings in the public domain!
N.B. I'm not affiliated with with the website, I'm afraid, nor Her Majesty's Civil Service, and certainly not with Mr Clegg!
