Isn't it about time we had more fuel protests in the UK?

Question

The price of a litre of unleaded petrol at my local Tesco (normally the cheapest in the area) has risen by 5p in just over a week.
The price of petrol is rapidly reaching the point where people can no longer afford to go to work - if the public transport system was up to scratch then this would not matter, but it isn't. And over 80% of the cost of petrol on the forecourts goes directly to the government as taxes! What are they doing with it?

After the last blockades of fuel depots the government made it illegal to do so again.

My question is this: I'm willing to risk getting arrested blockading a fuel depot if in the long run it stops my government from robbing me blind.

Are you?

Or do you have a better idea?

And for you environmental-types - if you have a better way for me to get to work from Essex to London then I'm all ears.

For the people who say things such as "Get a push bike" - I live 40 miles away from where I work so that's not really viable is it?
Also, I work on the London Underground, so if myself and my fellow workers were not to turn up to work I think that would cause problems don't you think?

And... "use public transport" someone says (I knew they would).
It would cost me almost £200 more a MONTH to use public transport. And what do I get for this extra money? The opportunity to stand up in an overcrowded, dirty cattle car of a train, and for over double the amount of time it takes me in the car. Good idea, that way I'd never get to see my family.
Please read my original - I am happy to take public transport IF IT'S VIABLE - it simply is not however

Answer 1

Sadly the last fuel demonstration was just beginning to bite when the protesters being honourable and decent people called because they did not want the innocent to suffer, such as hospitals. They forgot or did not realise that government is about power and power alone. As a consequence they snatched defeat from victory. The lesson to be learnt even in a so called democracy is that governments will take no notice of the honourable and decent unless blood is spilt, and then they will blame the victim

Answer 2

The cost of fuel in the UK is ridiculous, and simply I can't afford it if it keeps rising the way it is.

The last time fuel got near a £1 a litre there were lots of protests , this time nothing ? The boss of Shell had commented roughly a fortnight ago that prices were to fall as the cost of a barrell was relatively constant, and then the exact opposite is happening.

I used to work in a petrol station and actually the profit margins for the petrol station on petrol is minute, they make there money on the economies of scale and the shop, which most usually have.

Gordon Brown should really address this problem. He seems to bury his head in the sand and ignore lots of issues until it suits, like the post strikes etc... if it hadn't been resolved it could have cost the country millions is lost revenue.

Thing is no-one will listen to the general consumer that much, we will just be told to car share, or use public transport (I would if it was better and cheaper !!) or cycle (well if I wanted to cycle, I wouldn't have bought a car - the guys that need to kick up a fuss about it are Haulage firms, Airlines, Farmers , like last time.

£1 a litre arggghhhh, I was watching an old epsiode of the Bill from around 1996 and see a petrol station in one of the scenes, it was 54p a litre - what a difference ten years of Labour makes lol

Answer 3

We've got natural storms in the North sea, and America made ones in the Middle East... I'm afraid petrol price spikes are inevitable. The problem is, oil is needed in so many things that we take for granted that if an oil company wants to put the prices up, we can either sit and swivel, or endure and go on.

We need more than just protests over oil in my opinion. The way things are at the moment, we need a complete overhaul of the way governments and business are conducted. Of course there won't be any protest over anything until the very last second when it's too late. It's how we are.

At the moment, I imagine most people would be far more likely to protest against the banning of credit cards than the absolute shafting they get on a daily basis from government and business. Ho hum.

Answer 4

Unfortunately since the 2000 protests came in there was a whole raft of anti-terror legislation brought into this country which allows the army to be deployed to break this up. There's also the threat of removal of licences which with this jobs market is a huge risk for any haulier. Which is why we have not seen any significant protest since. I agree with you on the high prices hurting the economy but, I wouldn't expect any useful government measure until the March budget. I would not rule out any action before or after this budget though.

Answer 5

Are you really sincere when you say "If the public transport system was up to scratch"? Is it not that you just want cheap petrol like most other car owners.
Have a protest concerning the use of tax money from petrol instead.
If everyone didn't live in one place and work in another remote location, the problem might not be so acute. Although considering the property prices in London I can't blame you for not living there.

(edit) You dick! If you work for the underground and you think the public transport system is bad you should make some noise about it. If you're not willing to do that and you want a car, pay for your petrol and shut the f*** up!
Looking at the people who ahve been thumbed down, this thread is being read by the regular oil l and car lovers fraternity!

Answer 6

I would rather protest poor public transportation system. In the place where I live, the bus comes every 30 minutes. Yes, THE bus, the one and only bus. Which in turn means I'd have to schedule my life around bus schedule. I would much rather take a bus, if it was available. The bus they use here a huge enormous thing with only 3-5 passengers in it. Why not get a bunch of smaller buses and run them more often? Maybe people would start using them.

Answer 7

Hey your right we in this country don't complain or should I say force the issues that are squashing us to death by protesting hard say like the french who cripple the country until they get what they want their government to listen. Petrol prices are beyond me it is a total rip off like all the parking enforcement industry councils on the money milking band waggon and that bum hole London mayor Congestion charges Council taxes the list goes on we live in RIP OFF BRITAIN . I live in London Red Ken wants to introduce a Congestion charge for the Blackwall tunnel that i use daily to get to work. if i use public transport i would have to use two trains and a bus to get to work and the same for the return journey. it takes me a hour and a half to go to work. By car its less than half an hour. He wants to charge us £8.00 per day which i could not aford. The tunnel had a counter flow sysytem in place but he put a stop to it that made for a bad blockage t then use this problem which he created as a weak point to make the law for making more money for his coffers as the area has become more congested. It would only need an extra two lanes and there would be no problem .

The you have Gordon BROWN who stole millions from our pensions and other taxes. TAX ,TAX, TAX, TAX, going on your holidays ??? More tax !!!! If your a hard working person who wants to own your home have a car and other things which you should have because you have earned it honestly for get it ..if the goverment don't rob you the the crooks will as there are no strong laws for these people.

Then there is the US embassy in london who owes over 20million pounds in unpaid C C FINES

Answer 8

When they started closing hospitals a local person would stand against a Government MP at the National Elections. Maybe something similar should be done nationwide concerning petrol.
Threatening these people seats is only way these people listen to the "ordinary person".

Good Luck

Answer 9

another way the government could supplement the cost of fuel is to actually charge these foreign trucks that use our roads, pollute our country ,break our laws and contribute nothing!!!! they fit long range tanks fill up in france where its cheaper and avoid our tax when we go abroad we pay road tolls maybe if we re-couped some of the costs from these "drivers" for unpaid tax,accidents,speeding fines,and damage to our roads from being illegally overweight ,1/2 could go to taxman and 1/2 to improving public transport helping both tree huggers and drivers get what they want

Answer 10

I'm with you all the way. These politicians get paid an enormous salary plus an enormous expense account for robbing us blind. I can remember about 35 years ago when Labour came to power and the first law they passed was for them to get a huge pay rise and the second law was a pay freeze for the rest of us. The time has come to stand and be counted.