East Anglian hauliers lobby
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• by Miles Brignall East Anglian hauliers have challenged their colleagues around the UK to match their lobbying of MPs over the current state of the haulage industry.
Last week about 10 East Anglian hauliers were joined by operators from Shropshire to tell their MPs what impact the fuel duty escalator and cheap competition from abroad has had on the sector.
They met the Conservative and Liberal Democrat transport teams before a series of short speeches including one by Gwyneth Dunwoody chairman of the all-party Transport Select Committee. After paying tribute to the organisers of the lobby, she called on all hauliers to send in evidence for the committee's forthcoming investigation into the competitiveness of UK hauliers.
Ipswich MP Jamie Cann, who sponsored the event, said time was of the essence as Treasury staff are already working on the March Budget. The day ended with a reception at which the hauliers tackled their local MPs.
Co-organiser Paul Newton of Haley Motors says he is very pleased with the day; he believes many MPs have been forced to rethink their attitudes to the industry.
Now Newton is calling on hauliers from other areas to lobby their MPs in a collective bid to drive home the message that the industry is suffering.
He is less than complimentary about the Road Haulage Association, which he accuses of trying to claim the meeting's success as its own.