It has concerned me for a while now that the biggest threat to Motorcycle Racing (and Boxing, Horse Racing and any other “risk sports that you care to think of) will come either from elected blokes in a cupboard in Whitehall, or more likely unelected blokes in a cupboard in Brussels (who tell the blokes in Whitehall what to do). Now these blokes are very important, and their job is to take offence on our behalf at things which we enjoy doing and get pleasure from. Thats why these blokes invented Health and Safety and Human Rights. We are in 2007 and, of course, people are not supposed to enjoy themselves.

One such bloke is called Graham Stringer, former Manchester City Councillor and now a British MP for Manchester. If youve been reading either the Daily Express or the MCN, then you will know a bit about this. If not, get MCN (I dont often say that) and support their campaign against Mr Stringers proposals. Basically, what he is trying to propose by law is that ALL motorcycles will have to be registered by the DVLA and display a number plate at all times. This will include any machine anywhere in the UK for whatever reason, e.g. all Moto GP bikes and WSB bikes arriving for the British GP and WSB rounds, all racing bikes being raced in the UK, and even all Classic bikes that are in museums, say at Sammy Millers or the National Motorcycle Museum. Under his proposed law, the police will have the power to seize any machines in the UK that are not registered by the DVLA and scrap them for being “illegal. Of course, by the very nature of any racing machinery, it will not be able to pass an MOT and receive what is termed “type approval to enable it to be registered by the DVLA in the first place. In which case the Police will be allowed to impound and destroy said racing machinery. So do you fancy bringing your race bikes to the UK if this law is passed?

This proposed bill has already had two readings in Parliament, and is on to its third reading. All of a sudden, though, people have sussed how serious a threat this is to motorcycle racing in Britain. If this law is passed, it will kill racing stone dead. So there is now a concerted campaign by MCN to have this ridiculous attempt at law thrown out. MCN reports that the Conservatives are to vote against the Bill at its next stage, as will Roads Minister Stephen Ladyman, now that they have finally latched on to the draconian provisions of the Bill. Hopefully, this will be enough to have the Bill scrapped, though its too early to say what outcome this campaign will have. But think about this: even if the law is overturned, how do we know that there isnt some unelected genius in Brussels who is thinking what a good idea it would be if the European Commission passed an EU directive (which would in effect be equivalent to British Law and irreversible by the British Government) to have the same effect. Two wheel racing in the whole of Europe could be wiped off the map at a stroke.

Eighteen years after the collapse of the Berlin Wall, welcome to East Germany in the UK!