It is about time that somebody stuck up for the motorist and the farmers etc...

If this government is determined to ruin what is left of our transport companies, our ability to grow crops and feed the nation then they are doing a very good job.

But what is more telling of this government is the total silence from them.....I have not heard a single minister discussing the blockades on any news program over the weekend........Silence is ignorance and all that......

I hope the truckers continue, and I hope the Farmers join in....Poor buggers, first BSE, then swine fever (I am sure my Missus is suffering from that too ) and of course fuel prices, they have had a pretty rotten lot recently!

Anyway, as long as gatwick is open on Sunday I don't mind!! (Honeymoon - I am joining the brotherhood of Married Men....trade up to Scoob Estate imminent!!!)

Jamie

 

Is it just me who would still use the car even if they doubled the price of petrol? and is it just me who would still refuse to use the bus/train even if it they were free?
If you want less cars on the road surely pricing them off the highways goes against everything Labour stands for? (Sorry...New Labour)
Wouldn't it be better to rid the roads of dangerous/blind drivers on the roads with re-testing every 3 years or so, and a period of grace...say three months so you can polish up and retake? The goverment should be able to raise a fair bit of cash with the testing fee and a save a bit of cash on hospital fees!

Right I'm off to get me coat!

DazW.

P.S Don't farmers use red diesel which is less than half the cost of ordinary diesel?

[This message has been edited by DazW (edited 11 September 2000).]

 

Geezer,
Can you give me an example of when the tories screwed us?

Not really politically literate, but I know when a party does me no favours and its actions affect me directly.

Since labour came in, we have seen:
(transport related schemes)
Fuel Crisis (income generator)
Speed cameras x1000% (income generator)
Degradation of public transport
Bus lanes on motorways (?!?!??!?!?!?!)

Sorry, this isnt a political dig, I really have no idea when it comes to politics so I am not qualified to throw criticism around (I prefer to stay out of it and do my voting on past history, not future promises) but from what I see, jonny 2 jags has demonstrated to his government what a viable source of income the motorist is. If we are charged tax so highly on fuel, what the hell are we paying road tax for?

Cem

 

Do you reckon two jags(11mpg?) is daft enough to f himself up the a, or is he claiming all of his petrol on expenses, thus further increasing the burden on us?

Integrated transport policy. Nice policy where's the transport?

 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Yeah! What have the Romans ever done for us? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?

Sorry - no relevance - just think bernmc and myself share the same sense of humour

[This message has been edited by Chris L (edited 11 September 2000).]

 

Regarding the Dome, tax payers do not fund it directly, although government grants did subsidise it's initial building. But isn't this lottery money supposed to be spent on 'good causes' etc??? If the powers that be are so anxious for our fuel taxes to help out the NHS etc, surely this would be a more prominent 'good cause' than a dome thats losing millions every day? I really do think that despite the so called lottery grants commission (?), the way the lottery money is spent is dictated by them at the top.

I voted Labour last time around....I'm not even gonna bother voting this time. I think that Labours spin doctors are the most devious and crafiest ever.

 

I think you'll find the tories funded their jollies by selling us BT, British Gas etc shares or to put it another way they sold us back what we already owned.

This government is screwing us on petrol.

What's the difference? All politicians are out to screw you one way or another.

 

CC: EU economy started to boom at low crude oil prices of $19. Now it stands at $30 something. $25 is considered an "ideal price". Don't know if the oil companies have increased their prices above the level of the crude oil increase.

Has the fuel tax system changed in the UK recently ? Just asking, don't know. I surely know that fuel tax (not a percentage but a fixed amount) hasn't changed over here, but we still have the same price increases.

Moray & Chris: Pizza Hut ? Armani suits ?

 

MM

 

Theo, i'm talking about prices over a ten year period, of course over short periods of time there will be seemingly big fluctuations, but that is not the way to accurately assess long term trends is it now?

 

The Aquaduct???

 

Moray, Chris and Theo,

What about Ferrari ? And spag. bog. ?



Cheers

Ian

 

What about ... (drum roll)

Taxes !

 

Again, completely off topic, but if you want the whole script, goto

 

I sympathise for haulage firms suffering from inflated fuel prices, but I don't think that this is the right course of action to take.

Everybody pilloried the French for holding UK holiday makers, as it was nothing to do with us. The same applies to the haulage firms. Their argument is with the government, not me, so why should I be disadvantaged? If they go out of business, that is tragic, but it does not give them the right to put petrol stations out of business or risk peoples lives by their actions. The police should break the blockades and ensure the free flow of fuel, as is required by EU law.

Geezer

 

Nah sod that, keep 'em blocked.

 

And it's safe to walk the streets at night...


With this petrol shortage, I'm off to get a honda pilot, with some spikes on it, a metal boomerang(sharpened) and a sawn off, with one cartridge which i'll drop somewhere really precarious at an inopportune moment.

 

Personally, I support 'em all the way even if it does inconvenience me.

What action do you suggest people take? Shuffle around muttering about how much fuel costs these days and try virtual campaigns which didn't quite hit the spot?(unfortunately - nice idea and it still should work, but if people need fuel they'll buy it)

I see that Mr Blair has said that this won't achieve anything. Well, let's see what happens when London is affected?

 

BD

Thoroughly agree with you M8, this government has done sweet FA to make an improvement on the Tories in fact its alot worse. The NHS is the worst it has ever been, our roads are jammed solid, public transport is not an option, our defence is under funded, the police are massively under funded, nurses, teachers, doctors are alot worse off.

Geezer

Sorry M8 but your comment was ridiculous. Don't you think you would suffer if UK haulage companies go out of business, distribution of any product that you buy is essential? If the Government keep prices as they are Haulage companies will go out of business. And that WILL have a direct effect on you, with your shopping from Tesco's your clothes from Burton’s (he he) and your Celine Dion CDS from Our Price.

Did you know that a Haulage contractor from Holland can drive from hull to Zeebruge do a trip from Yorkshire to London and back then drive home to Holland for a more competitive rate than an haulier based in Yorkshire. How would that effect you in your business if someone from a foreign country could do the same?

And unless you can enlighten me otherwise as far as I know no lives are at risk.

Sorry rant mode off now, but its that typical moaning British attitude of 'Why should I be disadvantaged for someone else’s cause' blah that really gets me steamin. We should but supporting this action the government have been taking the pi55 for to long.

Oh and for those of you that say well I'd rather see more distribution by rail, well believe me it isn't an option the cost would drive prices way up, and its far to unreliable and un safe in its current guise.

Geez nothing personally

 

The problem with this type of action, as the French have shown, is that it rarely relates to the crime, as it were. Our froggy friend block the channel ports for any reason, whether it is related to the business of the ports/ferries/tunnel or not. If the government give in to these people, then next time the government pisses someone off, they'll be blockading refineries again, becaase it will have been seen to get results.

I don't think you'd be so sympathetic if you couldn't run your car because of the BSE problem!

I agree that petrol prices are too high, but illegal action is not the answer. You were all too wimpish to not buy fuel on 1st of August, which is a sensible and <B> legal </B> course of action to take.

I only hope that none of the members of this BBS have a nine month pregnant wife, 'cos if you need to go to hospital, believe me, the ambulance service will not be treating that as an emergency.

Geezer

P.S What really pisses me off is having to drive the Scoob like I'm driving Miss Daisy

[This message has been edited by Geezer (edited 11 September 2000).]

 

A. This action is not illegal
B. Of course it relates to the crime in the case of the UK action, the Froggies I tend to agree with you.
C. There is no other course of action to take. If your livelihood were on the line and believe me these peoples livelihoods are on the line you would do the same. I do follow dump the pump but it is likely to do F all. And it isn't the case that the next time the government **** these people off then blah. Jobs/business livelihoods have been and are being ruined because of the tax on fuel. Think about those people whose wives are nine months pregnant and they have just been made redundant because a company from Belgium or Holland has won the contract.

 

The romans gave us the idea of feeding the christians to lions!

Maybe we could give em the current government, fatty two jags should keep em fed for a while

robski

 

Scott,
Hinderance of free movement within the EU is illegal, so it is illegal. By blockading the refinery, they are breaking the law. Of course, indirect hinderance is not illegal, I accept that.

If my livleyhood were on the line, I still do not have the right to ruin someone elses life. It's like taking your ball home when your out. You can't have your own way, so why should anyone else?

And I would rather be redundant and have a trouble free birth than have cheaper fuel at the cost of risking the life of my wife and unborn baby.

Like you said, nothing personal against you Scott, we just have oppsosing views on this. Maybe we should get married

Geezer

 

Geez 'I do' you smooth talking silver tongued fox.

[This message has been edited by Scott J Davies (edited 11 September 2000).]

 

Oh this is just typical of a whinging Brit not prepared to fight for whats right.

Pee's me off totally.

 

Mhhhm, just saw "your" Mr. Blair on the news over here, with his "this is not how policy is made" quote.

Arrogant is the wrong word, completely out of touch is more like it.

As an outsider, he looks like a man that is definitely not looking forward to the next elections.

 

If we've learned one thing from all this, it's that Labour don't believe in democracy. The government is there to represent our views and to implement policies that we agree. Tony Blair & the rest of his cronies clearly believes they can do whatever the hell they want and not care about public reaction or opinion.

What's worse is that for the first three years, most of the media (especially the BBC) were so in bed with Labour, that they refused to offer any sensible objective reporting on Labours antics.

Jeremy Paxman is the only objective reporter on the Beeb. Have you ever seen him interview Blair? No, didn't think so.

They have decimated the House of Lords, have handed even more power to Europe and clearly don't give a monkey's for the Monarchy or the Pound.

They have done more damage than they did the last time they were in power. If they survive the next election, there will be nothing left of this country.

If the British people rise up against the government they way they have this week, then it shows that something is <I>very</I> wrong. Unlike the French, we don't have a history of public uprisings, so this is a remarkable turn of events. Most previous strikes under Labour have been aimed at "fat cat bosses", this one is squarely aimed at the government.

Such a shame that no other party can offer a credible alternative at the moment.

 

we need a flyer on the web, so we can print it off and stick it in our rear windows!!


Show your support!!

If the French dont put up with this crap why should we!!!!


DONT BACK DOWN UNTIL WE HAVE WON

Denz

 

I honestly don't care which political party is responsible for the fuel price- I think all politicions are out to feather their own nests anyway. However, the UK does pretend to be a democracy, which means that the Government is supposed to be the voice of the people. We put the buggers there, and they're supposed to represent us. Tony 'the teeth' Blair saying that he's not going to be held to ransom by the protestors is beyond belief. W4nkr. He'd better watch out when he's begging for those same protestors votes in the near future.

 

The sooner the to55ers in Whitehall realize THEY WORK FOR US! and not the other way round the better. As someone else said, it takes a lot for Brits to protest like this, but when they do it's because they have been pushed waaayyyy to far. Tony Blair - listen to what the people who bloody well elected you are saying or you will be out on you arrogant **** come the next election (regardless of whether there is a credible alternative or not.