POLITICS: Panic As UK Edges Toward Fuel Crisis In Wake Of Katrina

Back in 2000 the UK's truck drivers blockaded oil refineries in wales for 2 weeks, bringing Britain to a near standstill. On Wednesday 14th September this is proposed again. The aim is the same now as it was then, to force the UK government to reduce the tax duty on fuel, as Britains is the highest in Europe. With the fall out from Katrina halting US supplies and adding to demand from opec, coupled with high prices, the UK is begining tonight to see signs of panic at the pumps.



I actually worked for Texaco during the 2000 fuel crisis, it was mayhem, however at that time oil production was fine and the price was only $30 a barrel. Already oil is in short supply and what we do have is very expensive. The lower tax demands of the protesters is one shared by the population of the UK, but the Blair government will not back down.

This is where we find the main problems, a country without fuel and a government waiting to use new terror legislation. Blockading ALL the UK refineries will be seen by some in our government as a terrorist action, the police state will take control.

I fear that this could become very difficult, already my local petrol (gas) station is seeing queues forming and its almost midnight, the next few days will only see it worsen.

Tax needs lowering, but this is not the time to be blockading fuel refineries.




Related News Links:
news.bbc.co.uk
www.tnn.co.uk
www.m otorcyclenews.com

[edit on 9-9-2005 by la2]

[edit on 9-9-2005 by la2]

My uncle was telling me that petrol stations around here are putting up signs saying that they are out of fuel. This is heading for a crisis and I dont think thats me being overly dramatic.

I wouldnt be surprised if Andrew Spence winds up with a control order on him. If you dont hear from him after the 14th you know he is holed up in his home, no phone, no internet, no visitors, no chance of trial and no civil rights. Thanks for the protection Charles Clarke

[edit on 9/9/05 by subz]

It is really bad already, I'm just west of Birmingham, the industrial centre of the region. We have the big companies local to here, and all 24 hr stations are reporting queues.

It will be good if Clark acts, but in the long term isnt it just an extention of the powers of the police state, making a wider variety of things punnishable under terror laws?

[edit on 9-9-2005 by la2]

Text. Blockading ALL the UK refineries will be seen by some in our government as a terrorist action, the police state will take control.

I very much doubt it. The Police State will not take control. I don't know where you got that from. How would any blockades be deemed as terrorist action? They weren't before were they?

I also thought that the fuel price blockade was 2001. I could be wrong here, but i remember stocking petrol in my garage just in case i needed it.

It was September 2000 when the last one was, but there were threats after that.

Since then the world has changed, attitudes concerning what is terorism has changed, back in 2000 fundamentalist clerics were frowned upon, not deported. most Europeans didnt even know who Bin Laden was. UK terror laws have been consistently widening what is seen as terrorism for the past few years, this will definatly come under those laws.

This is a new era we live in, dont expect Tony Blair to be rational about this, he used the army then, he'll use them more forcefully this time.

[edit on 9-9-2005 by la2]

The Government will be force to act, especially after tis weekend see's panic buying. In 2000 it caused people to stock up on bread, milk and fuel due to disruption to food suppliers fuel.





Our fuel is now at £4.10 a gallon, that converts roughly to the equivelent of $6.97, and two thirds of that is Tax.





[edit on 9-9-2005 by la2]

Bikereddie the last blockade was in 2000. Also any attempt to disrupt the operations of this nation are classed as acts of terrorism. But I for one support this "act of terrorism" because its to stop the true "act of terrorism" which is maintaining a fixed tax duty on fuel of 75% during a time of record oil prices.

Who can really afford the sustained ~91p/litre? Thats $6.32/gallon for our American cousins and AUD$2.16/litre for our Australian brothers.

Can you see why we would blockade to remove a 75% tax duty on our fuel supply?

its as high as £1.03 a litre, round here its up to 97.9p, it cant be sustained, and prices keep rising.

Subz the police wont do anything , they cant.
What are they going to do, arrest the drivers? WHo is going to drive em then?

Wait, in wales?
Didn the ones up here have any effect (Grangemouth)?

[edit on 26/02/2005 by devilwasp]

its the hauliage companies and farmers who are doing the blockade, the tanker drivers refuse to pass the picket line, its a loyalty issue, legally they dont have to cross it and cant be fired for it. Tere was also a 'go slow' convoy on M6, M1, M4 and M25 motorways.

The police acted eventually last time after COBRA met and pushed through legislation to give police temporary powers, thats how bad this can be.

The UK largest refinery is in wales, also the HQ of the hauliage association, the plan is to hit there at the same time as the other sites, more swift and more organised.

[edit on 9-9-2005 by la2]

I appologise for my quote saying it was 2001. I have just done a bit of research and you are all right. It was 2000.

At the moment in my area, i am paying 98 pence a litre. I suppose that is lower than most at the moment.

Guess i better start and stock up again eh?

[edit on 9-9-2005 by Bikereddie]

the french have a good idea news.bbc.co.uk...

this dont work if your price is 75% tax tho does it.

And our 75% tax in the UK generates what exactly?

We all must be some kind of mugs to put up with this.
Yet, what can we do about it? Nothing..... No matter how many protests we do, we will always end up paying what the Government dictates we pay.
We have no choice...Period....................

Its not always true, National strikes in the 1970's toppled the government, that time it was coal miners, that spread into all areas of the public sector.

protests can work, but this isnt the right time for a fuel blockade the fall out from Katrina is now spreading across the globe.

[edit on 9-9-2005 by la2]

to put it in context, the Katrina issue has now started to directly affect the econemies of countries thousands of miles away.

The US is importing more oil, OPEC cant cope, prices for oil on monday will sky rocket again.

But the strikes in 1984 actually spelled the end for trade unions as we once knew them.

We have nothing to bargain with anymore. No matter how many blockades we put up, or how many boycotts we do, we will always pay what the Government says we will pay.

We, in this democracy of ours, have no actual choice or say in the matter.........

You may well be right, it may not cause any changes. but by the hauliers doing it the government will be very wary, these lorry drivers are the ones who keep the country moving, if fuel stays high, they put prices up. prices then go up across the pectrum, and that harms consumer confidence....... a slower econemy.

is it me or does it seem, that even though Katrina fall out, oil prices and other things r goin on Tony Blair seems to be very quiet about it all???

Local gasoline prices hit in the $1.40-$1.50 CAD/litre range here (Nova Scotia, Canada) on Monday but dropped down to around $1.20 by the end of the week.

Still no way near what you are paying in the UK but folks are still pretty p***ed, especially the truckers.

www.theglobeandmail.com...
www.canadaeast.com...

its a world wide rise in price, our problem is the government tax thats on top of it, 75% of our price is tax, thats why the blockades r planned.