dd We in the road transport industry can all moan; some
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of us are better at it than others. Our big problem is that we tend to do this moaning to the wrong people. We moan to our colleagues, to our customers, to our suppliers, to fellow hauliers, to our trade associations, to our friends, to our partners and even to our kids! But while this may prove an adequate means of venting our anger, it doesn't achieve much else. The people we should be moaning to are our MPs. You know, that person who is supposed to represent your views in Parfiament...he or she appears in your neighbourhood, every four or five years, canvassing for votes—then, when elected, promptly goes to London, forgets almost everything they have promised you and follows the party line to the letter.
The only people who have the power to alter the disproportionate tax burden we all have to bear is the government of the day. We need to gain the ear of the government. Their attention was aroused, when we protested on the streets of the capital; we certainly grabbed their attention when the fuel blockade was in place, if only for the time when the general public was behind us. The fuel tax is still fresh in the minds of the government, MPs and the public at large. The Chancellor, in his mini-Budget, cleverly appeared not to back down to our lobbying, but gave away enough to make the public believe that we, as an industry, are better off than we were.
What he failed to mention was that he would have to impose the so-called Brit Disc on domestic hauliers, as well as any foreign operators entering the country. Of course when he does it will be the fault of the European Commissioners, not our own government, who have complained that British hauliers would have an unfair advantage if they did not have to pay for a disc as well!
My message is simple. If we as an industry want to survive, let alone move forward, we must lobby our indMdual MPs. Doing nothing is no longer an option. Everybody involved in the haulage industry has a part to play; all it takes is for every haulier to write to his or her local MP and ask what he or she is doing to help the British haulage industry.
This may sound glib. You may scoff at my innocence—but it does work. If an MP receives one letter, from a disgruntled constituent, he or she will politely reply, but do little else. If, on the other hand, your MP receives half a dozen or more letters, all on the same subject, from disgruntled constituents, he or she will take notice and actually do something.
Remember, politicians want your vote at the next election. If they think that by doing something positive it may get your vote, or s bring in more votes, they will do something
about it. The US Presidential election proved that every vote counts! about it. The US Presidential election proved that every vote counts!
Take the trouble to write. It doesn't take long to write a short letter to your local MP. If you think you need help writing a letter, ask one of the trade associations who will gladly assist. If you want to know who, or where, your MP is, ask at your local library or town hall, or phone the House of Commons Information Office on 020 7219 4272. If you have access to the Internet, you can find out
by going to http://www. locata.co.uIV commons.