Isle of Sheppey haulier Ron Wood explains why the fuel blockades just had to happen...
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id The People's Party is no more. Tony Blair and Co were
elected by the people, for the people, because we believed that they were a compassionate, listening and fair party. The fuel blockades at refineries around the country last month proved us all sadly wrong.
For two years Trans-Action and many other organisations within the haulage industry have been banging on No 10's door. Some 300,000 people signed a petition run by the Sun newspaper and hauliers in the South blocked Park Lane vwth the full support of London cabbies
and many more groups who felt the government itself
that enough was enough. that enough was enough.
The blocking of refineries was a last-ditch attempt to make the government take note. The impact was devastating to the whole of the country. Within 24 hours Tony Blair was caught with his pants down and his reaction towards the protest won public opinion over. To the protesters it became apparent that our biggest ally in this whole fiasco was the government itself. Its inability to listen and respond to the industry by offering to meet and discuss the unfair taxation was so offensive to all who protested. It was then obvious that the country was being run by a dictatorship led by Tony Blair and closely followed by John Prescott and Gordon Brown. The decision to call the protest off was agreed at lam on Thursday 14 September 2000 after it became obvious that the people running this country had their heads stuck up their bottoms.
It also became obvious that strong-arm tactics were beginning to emerge as well as a dirty tricks campaign against the protest. An offer was put to Tony Blair at 7.30pm on the Wednesday 13 September which was that the protesters would disperse within 24 hours and the country would get back to normal as soon as possible, provided a meeting with a minister conversant with our industry and our plight could be arranged within seven days.
Furthermore, the protesters asked that, within 60 days, the government introduce either a tax reduction in fuel duty, or a cap on duty at the present rate until the Budget. This deal was offered via the police and we were guaranteed it would get through. The response was a clear No deal".
The protest was called off due to the fact that we could no longer cause misery for the public which would eventually result in the loss of their support.
In the days that followed there was talk of collusion with the Tories, minority anarchists and many more ridiculous theories. This action took place because your voters, Mr Blair, are asking you to listen or stand down. We all agree that in a democracy, the actions were extreme but so is being ruled by dictators who will not listen to the very people who put them into power in the first place.
I am a hard working haulier who has 30 employees to consider. I am fighting for survival within a very competitive market which is being thrown onto the rocks of bankruptcy by an insensitive, arrogant group of idiots who can no longer understand the needs of the very people they represent.
I despair for the future of this country!