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Mote Does someone in the Indus try deserve a pat on the bad, or a dressing dovmP Drop us a line at Commercial
LEI
Motor, Room H203, Quadrant House, The Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5AS or fax us
industry taken into consideration by this government. All in all, it has been one colossal waste of time.
The representative on the government side has changed three times and not one of these people has possessed the slightest degree of understanding of the industry.
Was it really necessary for this country to be brought to its knees before anyone would listen? Does Mr Blair really think that the problem, if ignored long enough, will simply go away? We do not want to hear that the matter will be looked at in the next Budget—we have been listening to this same line since Labour came to power.
The general public have shown enormous support for the recent protests, because in the long run they understand that it is for their benefrt. It is an over-simplification to call this a lorry drivers' protest: it reflects the opinion, the frustration and dissatisfaction of a vast proportion of the population.
Now it is time for the government to speak to the people and, more importantly, to listen. Then perhaps in time this country may regain some of its credibility.
WW Smith, 0 Perfect & Sons, West Thumxk, Essex.
WICKED 'SPIN'
As a retired driver I still enjoy reading Commercial Motornow and again so I thought you were the people to write to about how angry I am with the government. Not about the fuel prices, although of course I sympathise with the way what I still think of as my industry is being crippled by unfair taxes, but about the wicked way the government "spin doctors" have tried to show up the protesters as violent thugs.
!think that even the BBC became angry with government lies as the dispute continued. One reporter at Grangemouth said very firmly that what had been described by the government as a "blockade" was no such thing. She pointed to the scene behind her where the hauliers and drivers (at least CM, unlike the government, knows they're not the same thing) were standing peacefully on one side of the road while the police, not in riot gear, were standing quite calmly on the other side.
There was no shouting, no violence and, as a succession of reporters and drivers said, definitely no intimidation'.
There were many examples of this, but what upset me most was when a BBC reporter said the government had "referred" the BBC to a site on the Internet headed "BNP" {presumably the fascist British National Party) which was telling people to use the "blockade" to "strangle the Blair government".
Maybe the BNP was trying to jump on the bandwagon. But even if it was, what has that got to do with a law-abiding series of gentle protests by what the whole country now knows is an essential industry?
But what I really think is more likely is that someone in the government's dirty tricks department was following orders and coming up with a way to frighten off the public from supporting this justified protest. This really was a disgusting way to drag our proud industry's reputation through the mud.
Whatever happens with the future of this dispute, I hope that the government will have the courage to apologise. Terry Burt, Biggin FR Kent.
PANTO PLAN
Blair is in a hole and still digging, but Gordon Brown is the villain and should be seen as such. I nominate Smug Gordon to play the part of 'Prudence Grabbr the dame in the Labour Pantomime "Rip off Britain".
Can we have further candidates for the cast list? CT Morris, CliffMoms Trucking, Bromyard Heroforctshire.
GOOD SUPPORT
At last! Our industry has finally been seen to stand up for itself and be counted. And not only that, the general public have stood in line with us and supported our action. I really felt proud last week to be a part of it all and to receive many, many wishes of support from total strangers whose opinion of "truckers" up until then had probably been not altogether complimentary. Thank you to all those who took part, from those that joined the protesters to those that merely sounded their car horns in support.
And by the way Mr Blair, if you think this "Effie incident" can be swept under the carpet and forgotten about—just try it.
Ray Barry, Southend, Essex.
WELL DONE!
Will you please let the lorry drivers know through your magazine how much we respect them and how well they've dealt with the issue over the fuel protests.
There's no other way we can say thank you for what they've done. They mustn't feel despondent that they had to pull out—we consider it a success. Thank you. Anonymous message left on CM answerphone.
WHO'S MAD?
In this "great" country of ours we have hauliers bleeding to death over high fuel costs; businesses having to compete with European dictates seemingly stacked against us; a waiting list of months to get a modicum of treatment on the -national health: a plastic dome which few can afford and even fewer want to visit; plus a government that refuses to understand that the electorate have had enough of being treated like nonentities.
I need to ask one question... AM I LIVING IN A BLOODY MADHOUSE?
Stuart Unklater, Taunton, Somerset.
STEEL MOVES
The general tone of the article "Steel Closures" ( CM31 Aug-6 Sept) seems to suggest that rail is a rather unimportant medium for the transport of steel products. There is in fact a considerable volume of steel moving by rail—much more, in fact, than the hauliers mentioned 41 your article seem to believe.
Imported steel is arriving in a considerable number of UK ports both large and small. It is arriving not only from northern Europe, but also from the old Eastern Bloc countries. So, as suggested in the penultimate paragraph of the article, there are opportunities at the ports. Maurice Tate,
-ars,vich, Essex.