Ferry route axe to cost 300 jobs
May 28 2008 by Karen Dent, The Journal
Hauliers take their protest to the capital
SCORES of hauliers yesterday took their fuel-price protest to the centre of the capital and to the steps of Downing Street.
Travelling from many parts of the country, the lorry drivers lined a specially-closed section of the A40.
Many left their cabs to attend a rally at Marble Arch before a delegation handed in a letter at 10 Downing Street urging Prime Minister Gordon Brown to save the haulage industry by reducing the duty on diesel.
As the peaceful protest – involving around 300 lorries – took place, Chancellor Alistair Darling was under mounting pressure to ditch controversial proposals to increase road tax on gas guzzling cars.
And House of Commons Transport Committee chairman Louise Ellman led MPs’ calls for something to be done about prices, although she warned that decisions should not be based "on protests from any one sector".
Kent-based haulier Peter Carroll, who was one of those handing in the Downing Street letter, said the Government was being urged to put the haulage industry into the essential user rebate category, and that 20p-25p should be taken off diesel duty.
Mr Carroll continued: "We hear a lot about the Government wanting to steer the economy through difficult times. Well, one of the biggest ways of steering an economy through difficult times is to cut fuel duty.
"I believe that if Gordon Brown was to pass a drowning man, he would help. To all intents and purposes our industry is a drowning man. I say to the Government that you have the lifeline. All you have to do is use that lifeline to save a fantastic industry that does good for Britain."
Chancellor urged to reverse car duty increase
THE latest tax revolt facing Gordon Brown grew last night as more than 40 MPs called for a controversial increase in car duty to be scrapped.
The Prime Minister was under fresh pressure as 41 MPs – the majority Labour backbenchers – signed a Commons motion tabled by Blyth Valley’s Ronnie Campbell urging him to "reconsider" rises in vehicle excise duty (VED).
Earlier this month, The Journal revealed the motion was tabled over fears that thousands of families will be unfairly penalised, and the row will be as damaging to Labour as that over the scrapping of the 10p tax band.
The Government is ending an exemption for cars up to seven years old from top VED rates, leaving owners of bigger vehicles facing increases in tax bills from next year.
Car tax is based on carbon emissions, and owners of more polluting older cars, who currently pay £210 a year, could see that rise by between £50 and £230 next year.
Mr Campbell, along with other backbenchers, is set to press his concerns over the "retrospective" aspects of the tax changes in a meeting with Chancellor Alistair Darling next month.
A spokeswoman for the Chancellor said there were no plans to move on the issue, but added Mr Darling was very aware of people’s concerns and would consider everything as he always does in the run-up to the Pre-Budget Report in the autumn.
