Norris story causes anger at RHA
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• In the same week that the Road Haulage Association starts interviewing for a new director-general it is distancing itself from a national newspaper article which accuses the previous incumbent, Steven Norris, of squandering the group's money.
RHA national chairman John Bridge confirms that a shortlist of candidates are being interviewed for the new role of RHA chief executive; he expects the position to be filled by the end of February—but has not applied for the job.
Bridge criticises the unnamed source of The Mail on Sunday's story. "It's reprehensible that people should divulge information with regard to the RHA's affairs." he says. and refuses to comment on the paper's allegations.
The Mail on Sunday claims to have the exact amounts spent by London mayoral hopeful Norris during his time as director-general of the RHA,
which lost £684,725 during Norris's first year in the post. Those include: £80,000 redecorating a new London office which Norris insisted on opening. The RHA says it is selling the lease on this office.
• £2,000 on a sofa and £3,000 on a boardroom table for his personal business suite. .4 A Elm increase in the RHA's wage and administration bill in less than two years.
• The RHA and the Freight Transport Association have sent their joint Budget submission to the Chancellor; once again they are calling for the overall tax burden on hauliers to be reduced. However, despite the ETA's recent talks with Prime Minister Tony Blair, the RHA remains pessimistic.
"I think our members will be further penalised at the next Budget." says national chairman John Bridge. "They are going to increase fuel duty above the rate of inflation and the impact will be no different to the fuel duty escalator,"