1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172 
Lawyer looks into legality of fuel duty
Page 7
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
By Chris Tindall A NORFOLK PAVING haulier who organised a go-slow on the A47 last week has enlisted the help of a lawyer to investigate the legality of the government's fuel tax regime.
Gary Cooper says he believes there is an unfair competition issue with UK hauliers forced to pay much higher prices for their fuel than foreign operators carrying out the same work in this country.
The move comes days after Cooper protested about rocketing fuel prices with a go-slow convoy in Norfolk. He claims media reports that there were only a few vehicles involved are "100% inaccurate", and believes there were between 80 and 100 lorries causing tailbacks of up to seven miles. He is organising another protest on the busy A-road at the end of June, and says he will probably join with lobby group Transaction 2007 for their planned protest at the end of this month.
"Every day fuel is going up and up," he explains. "It beggars belief. How are we supposed to pass those prices on? Everyone is moaning, everyone is unhappy, but no-one seems to he doing anything. I thought if the little man does something and fights back, maybe we can start making progress."
Cooper adds: "We are paying high duties, which foreign drivers coming here do not have to pay. There's an issue there."
Peter Hastings, commercial lawyer at Norwich-based Steeles Law Solicitors, confirms he is considering the legal issues. He adds: "My consideration is at an early stage. I wish to work on this during the next few days."
However, Peter Cullum, head of international affairs at the Road Haulage Association (RHA), says each member state is allowed to levy its own taxation: "The legality of the government putting higher taxes on is not an issue we've looked at."
"The EU, in terms of fuel duty, has recommended a range of prices, which alter over time. Ours just so happens to be at the higher end. We've always assumed [the government] can impose higher fuel tax. We've been protesting the rate at which it does it."