From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re Tina's request for details of areas running dry on fuel - we're in
Preston. Blackpool and Lytham St Annes ran out of fuel completely some time
last night. The whole of Preston is gridlocked as people try to empty every
last filling station, and from what I hear the Blackpool Road is actually
chockablock from here to Blackpool. If I could get to the protest I would
join in, but getting out of Preston is a joke :)
Kate
P.S. (from Ananova):
We won't give in on fuel protest, insists Blair
Prime Minister Tony Blair has insisted that his Government "cannot and will
not" cave in to the fuel price protesters.
"We fully understand and share the concern of business and motorists about
the high fuel prices, but first we cannot and we will not alter Government
policy on petrol through blockades and pickets," Mr Blair said.
"That is not the way to make policy in Britain and as far as I am concerned
it never will be."
The Prime Minister, who was speaking at the launch of a Government
e-commerce drive in Loughborough, Leicestershire, as the protests spread
across the country and pumps ran dry.
He went on: "It's important to recognise that the reason for the recent rise
in fuel prices is to do with the rise in world oil prices.
"The sensible way, the only right way to deal with this problem, is to put
pressure on Opec, it's not to get them off the hook by caving in to
pressure."
The Prime Minister said that was not just Britain's position: "It's the
position of every government in the industrialised world."
He added: "Though it's absolutely correct to say that in the first two years
of the Government we did raise the fuel duty, it was necessary to sort out
the economy."
Mr Blair echoed Trade and Industry Secretary Stephen Byers' refusal to
pledge a cut in fuel prices. He insisted that there was no danger of fuel
supplies drying up, saying that shortages at the pumps were due to panic
buying, not to the effect of demonstrations.
Earlier, Sir Ken Jackson, general secretary of the Amalgamated Engineering
and Electrical Union, said the Government should act to cut the price of
fuel. He said: "This is a self-inflicted wound that we don't need. Industry
has enough problems with the strong pound and weak euro and this is one
problem we needn't have inflicted on ourselves."
--
I've always been of the opinion the only lobby stronger than the
NRA of America is the oil lobby.
Steve.
Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org
List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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