Demo organisers fall out over plans for fuel protest
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• by Melanie Hammond The impact of the week-long demonstration against fuel prices planned for September could be undermined by a row between the chairman of the Hauliers and Farmers Alliance and tts former farmers' spokesman.
Andrew Spence, who left the HFA in May to join the more militant Farmers For Action group (FFA), says the HFA now only has three members and he doubts its ability to organise the nationwide protest convoy.
Spence says the 10,000-strong Farmers For Action group will boycott any action planned by the HFA for fear of associating with "a disorganised event' which lacks credibility. "We will continue to offer help to hauliers, but not to anything that Len Johnson (HFA chairman) and the HFA are in charge of," he adds.
But Johnson dismisses the attack and says that the HFA has support "across the country as far away as Dover", as well as backing from protest group Trans-Action.
"Spence did not like the fact that he wasn't in control of the whole HFA," Johnson claims. "He wanted us to be more militant and, although we wanted to make an impact, we wanted to keep things legal. He really doesn't have much support up here."
FFA chairman David Handley says: "Spence can only speak for the Newcastle area and should not be making statements about the FFA as a whole. The HFA hasn't put a proposal to us yet, but if it does, and we feel it's workable, of course we'll consider offering our support."
The FFA helped the Rural Action Group's blockade of the Severn Bridge last week, when 600 vehicles blockaded the bridge for two hours and also the M4 and surrounding roads. Handley says: "The media seized upon the pro-hunting side but one of the main issues was fuel."