DEADLINE DAY
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What is the Road Haulage Association playing at? As the barricades came down from outside oil refineries everyone
agreed that the 60-day deadline should stand, but now I read that the RHA is
distancing itself from 13 November. This date was perfectly placed as it gave the government a chance to come back with an offering ahead of the pre-Budget statement.
To let this date pass without comment is to play into the government's hands. Gordon Brown is clearly stalling for time and hoping the whole matter will go away.
If half the groups calling for a reduction in fuel duties let the 13 November pass without action, Brown and Co will assume they have won and do exactly as they wish come the next Budget. What many people fail to remember is that at the last Budget, Brown announced that he was ending the fuel duty escalator—but he still put up the duty on diesel by 2p/lit.
It's clear to me that we must stand together and make the 60-day deadline count.
If Brown fails to offer concessions we should be outside those refineries again—with twice as many people as last time. We know we have the public's support over this and Brown and Blair are rattled. Talking to the government has so far come up with absolutely nothing. It's time to put our democratically elected government to the test and find out once and for all whether they really are listening to the people.
Eliot Vintkins,
London.