On the campaign trail
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Fresh from the success of the Gurkha campaign last year, Peter Carroll is preparing for his next political challenge to become an MP at the next general election.
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PERHAPS BEST KNOWN for his involvement over the years with lobbying group TransAction, Peter Carroll is hoping to thrust himself even further into the political spotlight by standing as the Liberal Democrat MP for Maidstone and the Weald.
Having sold his Kent haulage business, Seymour Transport, at the start of the year to Barnstaple, Devon, haulier Evans Transport (CM 7 January). Carroll clearly has the time to dedicate to his election campaign, and after meeting him, CM can confirm he definitely shows passion.
-If elected, I promise to become the
road transport industry's political champion," he vows. "I don't like to see unfairness, and that is what's happening to hundreds, possibly thousands, of small and medium-sized British haulage firms, those with very proud family histories; it is unforgivably unfair.
"They are being crushed to death by an uncaring, unfeeling, unthinking, unaware government. That's wrong."
Foreign competition
The haulage industry is under mortal threat from foreign competition "pouring into the UK", Carroll believes.
-They buy cheaper fuel abroad, so they pay no fuel duty to the UK government. They pay their road tax abroad and all their employment taxes abroad. Their vehicles are proven to be less safe than those of British hauliers. Meanwhile, hard-pressed British hauliers employ thousands of British workers and pay billions of pounds of taxes."
He continues: "Despite all that we contribute, successive governments do nor take our industry seriously. They take our taxes but do not fight for the level playing field we deserve."
Carroll feels this is because there is no one in Westminster who understands the road transport industry.
-If we don't have people on our side in the House of Commons," he says -we are never going to see an improvement in the way we are treated by
the government. If you look at other sectors such as bankers or car-makers whenever they are in trouble, do they get ignored? No, because they are always in with ministers.
"They've got people working on their behalf, getting their message across politically. That's what we need in the road transport industry."
Fighting for fairness
If elected, Carroll pledges to establish an All Party Parliamentary Group to fight for fairness for British hauliers
The issue of fuel duty is a particular bugbear of Carroll's, and if he proves successful in his campaign, he plans to lobby for an essential user rebate (CM 14 January) for fuel.
-Lib Dem MP Norman Baker recently asked a question in the House of Commons on my behalf about an essential user rebate, and in the written answer, it stated it would be legal to bring it in for commercial vehicles."
While welcoming the written answer, Carroll adds: "Well, is that true? Which legal opinion is that based on. I'd like to get to the bottom of this."
Should he become an MP, Carroll would like to work closely with the industry's two key trade associations the Road Haulage Association (RNA) and the Freight Transport Association (PTA). He has strong views on the types of organisations they need to become to be successful in tackling the threats facing road transport companies.
-Both the FTA and RI-IA are full of good people, both have really good intentions, and both are always calling for things. But the age that you can call for things has passed. If you have a traditional trade association approach in this day and age, in modern politics.
you'll end up with a traditional answer, which is, you get nothing.
"The RI-IA and FTA would need to work with people like me — if I was successful in getting in — to transform the associations into campaigning, lobbying and fighting organisations."
Carroll, to his credit, has a comisderable amount of experience of political campaigning, with one great result last year with the Gurkha Justice Campaign, which he started in 2004.
It was Carroll who persuaded Joanna Lumley to get involved.
"Politicians have a hundred things on their minds, and they have the attention span of a gnat. You have to get in and make it happen. Do you think the Gurkhas would be allowed to live in Britain if we hadn't raised holy hell; if we hadn't chased ministers up staircases?"
Three key areas
Carroll believes there are three main areas to address with any good campaign. "You've got to fight using public relations and the media; you've got to fight legally by going to court or having expert legal advice; and, most importantly, you have to fight politically.
"We need people who are skilled and capable political lobbyists campaigning for our industry. If you think back to how the trade unions sorted out problems 100 years ago, what did they do? They got MPs into parliament, they formed the Labour Party. You can't solve problems by just talking to each other at industry events."
He also feels we need a media war to transform the public and government's perception of our industry.
"As an industry, our PR is appalling," says Carroll. "111 be the one who stands up and reminds people our nation runs on trucks, We have a fantastic industry that's a vital part of the economy — we need to remind people of that."
Parliamentary seat
The seat Carroll is standing for is held by the much-loved Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe, who has announced she won't stand again in the next election, Asked how he rates his chances, Carroll says: "Ann has been a fantastically popular C:onservative MP, and whether or not you think she spoke sense, you have to admire the woman.
"A lot of people voted for her not because she was a Conservative but because she was Ann WicIdecombe. Although it is a large Conservative majority, there isn't a dynamic Tory MP looking to replace Ann.
"They haven't got someone who's just overturned the government on the Gurkhas with the mother of all campaigns [Ed's note: Helen Grant Ls the Tory candidate for this seat]. I think it's a sea of uncertainty. It's anyone's for the taking," he says.
But what will he do if he doesn't get elected? Carroll says: "I'd continue to fight. Family haulage firms that have been going for generations are being snuffed out like candles that don't matter anymore. I wouldn't just give up."
Many may feel that standing as a Lib Dem is a pointless exercise, but Carroll disagrees. "After the expenses shambles, I think people are looking at politicians and saying they need sorting out.
"So when people vote they need to look at the type of person and not the colour of their rosette. We need real people who've had real lives "I've lain in bed throughout my business career and not slept because I've been worrying about paying suppliers, paying VAT etc. I've felt that, and because I've felt that I know what the consequences are of decisions about our industry in parliament.
"Forget the Lib Denis, forget the colour of the rosette, look at the person. Back me, don't worry about the colour of the rosette."
Despite his involvement with TransAction over the years, Carroll is keen to stress that he is no longer acting as a TransAction spokesperson.
"I'm not going in as TransAction's paid man. I need the freedom to speak my own mind," he states.
Although Carroll has raised a huge amount of money for his campaign, he is still short of the necessary total required to run a decent campaign.
"Unfortunately, an election campaign is expensive, so I am hoping people will support me," he says. •
• Peter Carroll would like to hear front any haulier about the big issues that are affecting their businesses. Email: pdcarroll@cix.co.uk
• To donate to Carroll's campaign, go to www.peterearroll.co.uk