UK The fuel protesters' story:

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Monday, 6 November, 2000, 14:14 GMT The fuel protesters' story

On Wednesday, Chancellor Gordon Brown will outline his tax and spending plans for next year. He is under pressure from farmers and hauliers to reduce fuel taxes. The BBC's Charles Rhodes has been investigating the claims of those pushing hardest for change.

Kay Gillam has a simple message for Gordon Brown, "Make it more even, "she says.

She is wondering how she will find the B#3,000 to cover the Vehicle Excise Duties needed to keep two lorries on the road.

In the end Mrs Gillam, who gave up proof reading to help run the family haulage business, decides to take one truck off the road and gamble on paying B#808.50 to keep the other one going for another six months.

Kay Gillam: "Make it more even" On Wednesday, the Chancellor will reveal his tax and spending plans for the next year.

With the threat of more fuel protests looming, Mr Brown is under pressure from farmers and hauliers who say they are prepared to blockade oil depots and refineries again.

Protests could turn ugly

Kay and her husband, Tim supported September's protests but are worried that they could turn ugly this time.

They specialise in transporting heavy machinery and abnormal loads in Kent. So far they have managed to turn down work that does not pay.

But between them, they claim they earn less than they pay each of their six drivers.

Until now it has been worth it, they say, as they have watched competitors go out business as hauliers slash rates to get work.

But Tim is not optimistic about the future of the business.

"I'm only a small guy, but there are six wage packets that go out of here each week and that's six families that could need government support if we pack up."

John Burden: On the brink Not far away, on the Isle of Sheppy, John Burden is overseeing top quality straw being loaded and prepared for export to the Middle East, where it will be fed to race horses.

John, his four brothers and father, say they have tried everything, from dealing in farm machinery to contracting work to try to make ends meet.

But their business still trades at a loss. And that, says Mr. Burden, is what prompted him to protest for the first time in his life.

He is now a managing co-ordinator for the Peoples' Fuel Lobby, heavily involved in organising the next series of protests.

He does not expect Mr Brown to deliver the 26.2p cut in fuel duty they want before the 13 November deadline set by the protesters.

The Burdens' straw export business is trading at a loss Although the 'red diesel' used in agriculture escapes the tax that ordinary motorists and hauliers have to pay, farmers still claim the rising cost of fuel is crippling their livelihoods.

Mr Burden says: "The increase in the fuel price is going to cost me B#80,000 to B#90,000 a year and the farmers struggled to pay my bills last year. Where is that going to come from?"

Pondering the prospect of more protests, he wonders how many of his customers will be able to afford his bills this time.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_1009000/1009637.stm

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), November 06, 2000

Answers

Wednesday, 8 November, 2000, 19:23 GMT Fuel protests to go ahead

Protesters in London during their previous demonstration

Fuel protesters are determined to go ahead with their threatened convoy from the north east to London despite the concessions unveiled by the chancellor in his pre-Budget report. Gordon Brown moved to meet concerns of the fuel protesters by freezing duty on petrol and cutting duty on green fuels, but stopped way short of delivering the 26p a litre cut lorry drivers and farmers had been hoping for.

The B#715 average off road tax... well we'll wait and see how that pans out PFL member Speaking for the People's Fuel Lobby, David Handley said bluntly: "We are not happy."

He said the chancellor's detailed statement would have to be digested, but told the BBC: "It is not the cut we were looking for, it's not a cut right across the board."

Cuts on duty on the more environmentally friendly ultra-low sulphur petrol and diesel of up to 3p a litre would take some time to filter down to the average motorist, Mr Handley said.

But the government says the new fuel should be available for motorists across the UK within the next few months, with the chancellor hoping it will account for 100% of petrol and diesel sales by next year.

We're coming to London

Mr Handley added: "We still stand by the 60-day moratorium. We will be coming to London on the 14th of November."

The farmer was at pains to make it clear that the four-day long convoy due to set off on Friday would be a peaceful protest.

"We will ask this government to explain why it couldn't have been more and why it couldn't have been right across the board," he said, pointing out the purpose of the convoy.

Speaking ahead of the chancellor's statement, the prime minister, who was obviously aware that the contents of Mr Brown's speech would not give fuel protesters everything they were calling for, said: "Whatever the grievances people have about the cost of fuel, I hope we can agree on two things.

"Those grievances should be pursued in a lawful and proper manner and not try to bring either the food supplies of the country or to bring the country's motorways or in any other respect bring the country to a halt."

Last time the fuel protesters demonstrated in the capital there was traffic chaos, and in their blockades which took place in September much of the country was brought to a standstill.

Wait and see

But there was some faint praise for the chancellor from some members of the PFL, with Robbie Burns in Scotland saying: "I welcome the three-pence cut in fuel, that's as much as I could have hoped for, to be truthful.

"The B#715 average off road tax... well we'll wait and see how that pans out."

And turning to the 'Brit disc' to be brought in for foreign lorries entering the UK, Mr Burns said: "I'll be waiting with interest to see what price he's going to charge them for coming in to our country and taking the work of the British and Scottish hauliers."

In his speech in the Commons the chancellor also announced that as well as freezing duty on red diesel, he would abolish vehicle excise duty on tractors and other agricultural vehicles.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk_politics/newsid_1014000/1014158.st m

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), November 09, 2000.


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