Lobbyist criticises
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RNA rebate blunder
• by John O'Donnell A leacing loobyst has warned the Road Haulage Assooation that backing down on the essential user rebate may have wrecked its credibility with government. And the National Farmer's Union has added its voice to concerns that this apparent U-turn could be damaging.
Mark Glover, a senior consultant with specialist lobbying firm Chelgate, says: "if half way through [your campaign] you take a populist switch you undermine the arguments you have been using. The overall effect is that the credibility of the RHA is likely to be undermined. If they drop one thing and follow another the minister will say 'how serious was your Mal query?'. It's like governments that bow to pressure if they chop and change their policy people begin to ask if they believe what they are putting forward," NFU director-general Ian Gardner says: "You have to ask, is this change going to assist government to respond? I would have some doubts about that, If you are lobbying you need a clear, simple message that is consistent."
But the RHA has denied that there has been any U-turn in policy National chairman John Bridge says the rebate has been put on the back burner while the association bathes for an overall fuel price cut. He explains: it's no good for us to be seen as having silly discussions over detail [about a rebate] when we should be fighting for the overall out," But Michael Dodds, a haulier on the hauliers and Farmers Alliance committee, says: "The decision to call for massive tax cuts across the board is naivety at best and stupidity at worst."