PROTEST: METHODIST HALL
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• Large numbers of protesters returned to the Methodist Hall to hear Tory leader William Hague admit in his speech that it was a Conservative Government that had introduced the "fuel escalator", before pointing out that New Labour has raised it to 6%.
"Clearly you have a grievance, clearly you have a problem,'' he said. "I've heard from a lot of people in your industry."
Hague went on to call for "an open minded review of fuel duty" but said there is little chance of persuading the Government to change its mind: "There are 160 of us and 420 of them and they get their way. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't shout about it. We hear you loud and clear. The opposition has been listening; I hope the Government has been listening too.' For this, he won a standing ovation.
Hague was followed Owen Paterson, Tory MP for North Shropshire, who has already tackled the Treasury on the issue of unfair diesel duty. "Coming here shows there's a real cause," he said, "You know it and I know it—it's ludicrous that it costs £252 more to fill up in France than Dover."
Paterson highlighted the plight of BHA Shropshire subregional chairman Martin Edge, who first made the MP aware of the problem of diesel duty and whose business recently went into receivership: "There will be more tragedies like that," he predicted. However, he stressed that blockades are not the way to beat unfair fuel tax, claiming that PM Tony Blair is looking for an opportunity to be seen as tough.
David Higginbottom of the United Road Transport Union said: 'That there should have to be a lobby it is a national scandal. Is the Government trying to deliberately shake out ownerdrivers and small businesses?"
He got loud support for repeating his call for a more united road transport industry, with a single trade union and a single trade association, maintaining that the industry was too fragmented to lobby effectively, allowing the Government to attack it: 'We make that job easy for them by doing it ourselves!"
Transport & General Workers Union road transport secretary Danny Bryan reminded everyone that the only groups capable of speaking up for the industry are hauliers and their drivers. "And more are needed," he said.
As RHA national chairman John Bridge thanked the speakers, it became clear that support for Trans-Action is popular, with chairman Frank Steers getting loud applause,
• Next week CM, in conjunction with Trans-Action, will be asking you what you think the next move should be. Look out for our fax-back questionnaire and make your view count