Tuesday 29th April 2008

Fuel Protest Hits London

Lorry drivers descend on London to ask Government to act over fuel costs

---

TransAction 2007 took part in 2000 protests

A convoy of truckers protesting against spiralling fuel costs was due to arrive in central London this morning.

Dozens of lorries were expected to start turning up at Park Lane to present a coffin to the Houses of Parliament, to symbolise the death of the haulage industry.

The protesters say that diesel prices have gone up 30% over the past year and many firms have gone bankrupt as a result.

At the weekend there was a 48-hour strike at a major oil refinery in Scotland over pensions.

Today’s protest has been organised by TransAction 2007, who were involved with the fuel protests in 2000 that caused havoc up and down the country.

The protest began on the M2 motorway in Kent and was due to reach central London at 10am.

Spokesman Mike Presneill said hauliers from overseas were turning up filled up on cheap foreign fuel and undercutting British drivers.

‘Our industry is the lifeblood of the UK economy,’ he added.

‘Fuel is rising on a daily basis. It is now at levels that are bankrupting hundreds of small and medium-sized haulage companies.

‘These are the companies that have been built up through hard work often over generations.

‘The government is standing by and watching this happen.’

The protesters are due to hand a letter charting their complaints to Parliament in the hope the Government will act.

[OperationAlfa]

Good. I might go up there and help them.

[CraigW]

just went past my office

[burman]

The rest of the lorry drivers ought to take two weeks off an let the country grind to a halt, the useless Government might take some notice then

[Skipppy]

How big is this protest? Number of vehicles etc.

[egbert]

i wonder how the previous protesters were bought off, prices are 20% higher at least since they took to the streets but we've heard nothing from them.

[jon-]

Why is all the wording in the article past sense? "was due to turn up at 10am" instead of "is due"

[posterboy]

Good luck to them.

[ChristianZS]

Good for em.. The problem at the moment is the Meeja spouting off that the Fuel companies are at fault for having high prices when in fact its this dirty Gubbermint`s tax regime!

[Batfink]

Are haulage companies going bust? When will we see a knock on effect or will a deficit of drivers just be made up from cheap eastern block haulage companies

[_James]

ChristianZS said:

Good for em.. The problem at the moment is the Meeja spouting off that the Fuel companies are at fault for having high prices when in fact its this dirty Gubbermint`s tax regime!

When was the last increase in duty?

[zippy3x]

_James said:

ChristianZS said:

Good for em.. The problem at the moment is the Meeja spouting off that the Fuel companies are at fault for having high prices when in fact its this dirty Gubbermint`s tax regime!

When was the last increase in duty?

Don't know - but their revenue went up yesterday, when fuel went up at my local filling station and they got a bigger cut in taxes - look up the word "percentage" for explanation.

[chris5]

I cant believe its taken this long, this crap goverment take 80p in every pound on fuel, the more fuel goes up the more they take and the more they give away, to every other country but ours.
I can remember the last Labour goverment in the 70's, nothings changed, tax and spend, when are the working class going to realise that they are a con,they support the unworking class not the working class, in my small village 2 haulage contractors have packed up already, the first of many.
This country is F****d

[_James]

zippy3x said:

_James said:

ChristianZS said:

Good for em.. The problem at the moment is the Meeja spouting off that the Fuel companies are at fault for having high prices when in fact its this dirty Gubbermint`s tax regime!

When was the last increase in duty?

Don't know - but their revenue went up yesterday, when fuel went up at my local filling station and they got a bigger cut in taxes - look up the word "percentage" for explanation.

Only on the VAT though. Which happens when the price of any good goes up.

[Bizzle]

Good on them

Best of luck folks!

[stu_the_flat]

Are you sure it a protest and its not just that one lorry traveling at 56.00001 Mph is trying to over take another lorry going at 56.000001 MPH?

I'm glad that there are protests. there have been talkes and dates set of for months and they seem to have amounted to nothing.

Don't think the occupants of the summer westminster palace will take any notice though.

[dandarez]

chris5 said:

I cant believe its taken this long, this crap goverment take 80p in every pound on fuel, the more fuel goes up the more they take and the more they give away, to every other country but ours.
I can remember the last Labour goverment in the 70's, nothings changed, tax and spend, when are the working class going to realise that they are a con,they support the unworking class not the working class, in my small village 2 haulage contractors have packed up already, the first of many.
This country is F****d

The last sentence is correct.

Bear in mind though this is NOT a Labour government, it's Noo Labur, TOTALLY DIFFERENT!!

About time there was some action - why do we sit on our hands so long today, we didn't used to be like this?

Hovis needs removing as do the rest of his snooty pals (and take the PC brigade with them, then perhaps this country 'may' get back to normality. Somehow doubt it when leaving your dustbin lid open gets you a criminal record.

Yeah, that last sentence in quote above was correct.

Might be some good news at the end of Thursday... Red Ken gone and massive defeat for Noo Labur in elections
... then again with the fickle public I wouldn't bank on it.

[gizlaroc]

_James said:

ChristianZS said:

Good for em.. The problem at the moment is the Meeja spouting off that the Fuel companies are at fault for having high prices when in fact its this dirty Gubbermint`s tax regime!

When was the last increase in duty?

It is not about the last increase, it is about the absurd amount the government take out of every litre.

It is not just haulage companies that are going bust, we have a retail shop and I do around 30k miles a year buying menswear, my wife also does around the same buying ladieswear, it is starting to get too expensive to run our store.
We only claim around 30k miles between us at 40p per mile because the comapny can not afford to pay more than that, well the fuel is now costing us £8200 and we are claiming back £12k, that leaves £4k to buy the car, service it, insure it, tax it and put on tyres and brakes etc.
That is £4k for 2 cars!
It is now costing us around £5k a year each out of personal money, not a good siuation to be in, once again the small business is stuffed!

We also have a footwear agency, and it is the same for that, 2 sales guys doing 40k miles a year selling footwear to retailers around the country is starting to get too expensive to do.
Loads of UK based companies in the retail trade are disapearing, and who gets the business?? China.
With this increased bsuiness are China taking some repsonsability and making an effort to make their production greener?? Of course not, they are rubbing their hands together and laughing at us.
So by taxing us so haevily on fuel we are killing our country and the planet.

Edited by gizlaroc on Tuesday 29th April 11:46

[Guybrush]

zippy3x said:

_James said:

ChristianZS said:

Good for em.. The problem at the moment is the Meeja spouting off that the Fuel companies are at fault for having high prices when in fact its this dirty Gubbermint`s tax regime!

When was the last increase in duty?

Don't know - but their revenue went up yesterday, when fuel went up at my local filling station and they got a bigger cut in taxes - look up the word "percentage" for explanation.

Yes quite. Duty is in fact increasing as the base price rises. If the government really cared a damn, they'd reduce fuel duty - it is one of the highest in the world after all. One has to assume the government don't in fact give a damn.

[LukeBird]

Good for them!

[_James]

Guybrush said:

zippy3x said:

_James said:

ChristianZS said:

Good for em.. The problem at the moment is the Meeja spouting off that the Fuel companies are at fault for having high prices when in fact its this dirty Gubbermint`s tax regime!

When was the last increase in duty?

Don't know - but their revenue went up yesterday, when fuel went up at my local filling station and they got a bigger cut in taxes - look up the word "percentage" for explanation.

Yes quite. Duty is in fact increasing as the base price rises. If the government really cared a damn, they'd reduce fuel duty - it is one of the highest in the world after all. One has to assume the government don't in fact give a damn.

Can I ask where you get your information from?

Edit: Sod being polite. You're wrong. Duty is a fixed amount in pence per litre. The VAT take of the government increases as prices rise, but unless you suggest they reduce VAT every time we have inflation you'll have a hard time arguing against that.

The fact of the matter is, the government has not been responsible for recent price rises. They have delayed the duty increase (which was inflationary anyway), in order to stop the burden of duty rising.

Edited by _James on Tuesday 29th April 11:54