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SUBSIDY FIASCO I read recently that our hardpressed farmers are
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to receive government help to the tune of £150m. While I say good luck to them in some respects, I see no signs of any similar help for our road transport industry; only idiotic and ever increasing fuel and VED increases.
As we know the government's attitude to our plight is to bleat "overcapacity'. It seems reasonable that if prices paid to farmers are too low it probably means there is over-capacity there too! So how come farmers can be subsidised but other industries cannot? I thought subsidies were against EU policy anyway!
Has it escaped the notice of those blockheads in government that many transport firms associated with farming have already gone to the wall since the BSE crisis (which wiped out 75% of beef export loads overnight)?
This year's fuel and VED hikes have wiped out many more. Those of us operating from the UK to the Continent are in the worst position because our foreign counterparts are able to slash rates as they have lower standing and running costs, whereas our rates cannot be reduced further or we will be running at a loss.
Also, unlike the powerful and very effective farming lobby, we have to rely on the "Hinge and Bracket" efforts of the ETA and the RHA to voice our interest at government level, which have proven about as useful in politics as the above-mentioned TV duo.
Because the British transport industry is by its nature low-profile and of little interest to the government vote-wise, it is constantly ignored—apart from being labelled as big-time polluters, who don't pay their way regarding infrastructure damage (what a laugh!).
The truth is that since the introduction of the cunning 0licence this industry has been forced to become extremely efficient and competitive to the point of subsidising all of the others. This in turn constantly helps to keep down the cost of living for everyone, not to mention supplying billions of pounds in fuel tax and VED to the government war chest.
So come on you politicians, be sensible. Stop beating us up before your golden goose drops dead from malnutrition. John Meed,
Church Langley, Essex.