[News] Fuel price protests set for M54 and M6 today with hundreds expected to join

[BNthree]

So to protest against the high price of fuel they’ll be buying and using fuel?? Genius!

 

[SAC]

I did wonder when there would be protests against fuel prices.

The Conservatives sided with protesters in previous protests during the Labour Blair and Brown governments.

 

[Lenny Rider]

Didn't they do all this last year? Supergluing themselves to the M25 and whatnot.

Wasn't that all the Thunberg lot?

 

[pb21]

That was climate change people who don't like petrol/diesel. These are people that love petrol/diesel as they rely on it for their livelihood but don't like paying nearly double what they paid just a few years ago. Fairly understandable I would I thought.

As long as they don't inconvenience anyone, hold up anyone getting to work to support their family, or slow any emergency related vehicle, or create any noise, they will have my support. The country has been through hell the last couple of years, last thing we need is people preventing other people going about their business.

 

[LamieRobertson]

So to protest against the high price of fuel they’ll be buying and using fuel?? Genius!

So you’d like them to walk instead

 

[jessiejames]

If they prevent the free flow of the emergency services, yes they should do prison time………I’m sure you would agree deliberately setting out to prevent emergency services from getting to and from emergencies is a crime that should be treated seriously.

For deterrence alone.

Right hand lane will not be blocked, allowing for the other traffic to pass. However as alot of drivers like to sit in the middle lane of motorway at 50 MPH, this wont make much difference.

The original protest was for December 2021, this was going to be a full scale strike for all van and lorry drivers for 1 week, this was cancelled.

 

[Acker79]

I'm not sure I understand the point of this as a method of protest.

Generally protests done:
-to raise awareness of an issue (Zaghari-Ratcliffe hunger strike, etc)
-to highlight what life is like if a certain group don't do their job (royal mail strikes, etc)
-to cause disruption to people who can make a change (the environmental protests directly impacting on people who choose to drive everywhere, etc)

There is some crossover but generally those are the reasons.

How does this do any of that? We all know fuel prices are too high, it's not like it's raising awareness where there was none. The people being inconvenienced are the people who are impacted by the high prices, not the people who have the power to do anything about it. Just seems an ineffective choice of protest to me

 

[Gwylan]

I'
How does this do any of that? We all know fuel prices are too high

Do we? As I pointed out earlier, if fuel prices kept up with inflation they'd actually be about 20 to 30p per litre more expensive. The government has reduced fuel duty to keep prices low.

The question that should be asked of the protestors is what tax would you like to see increased if fuel duty was increased further?

 

[zefarelly]

As I understand it, this is a convoy which will be moving, and not a full blockage of the motorway.

The Police do this sometimes, have experienced it on the M25 . . . . it was actually flowing faster than normal.

 

[The Clamp]

Excellent. Now more than ever we must protest. Cause merry Hell. Big Corporations and this repulsive government must be shown they cannot have it all their own way.

Burn them out. Smash it up.

 

[CheeseRolls]

We are paying for COVID, furlough, bounce back loans (fraud?) etc, the ‘men in grey suits’ sat down and worked out what was the quickest way to get the extra tax back in, on a daily basis, just tax a product we all need and use.

Prices are roughly the same in both Spain and France so clearly their Governments had the same idea.

I read somewhere the other week on 21st June 2008 crude oil was $133 a barrel and unleaded was £119.9 at the UK pumps, on 21st June this year crude oil was $119 a barrel, perhaps there’s your answer?

The difference is that oil is priced in dollars and for some reason sterling has tanked against the US Dollar. The exchange rate was considerably more favourable in 2008.

An unrelated question. If fuel is so expensive, why do so many people keep on buying bigger and more powerful cars?

 

[Lenny Rider]

The difference is that oil is priced in dollars and for some reason sterling has tanked against the US Dollar. The exchange rate was considerably more favourable in 2008.

An unrelated question. If fuel is so expensive, why do so many people keep on buying bigger and more powerful cars?

My latest funeral fleet is hybrid cost me a bit more, but have noticed the difference in fuel costs.

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

The difference is that oil is priced in dollars and for some reason sterling has tanked against the US Dollar. The exchange rate was considerably more favourable in 2008.

An unrelated question. If fuel is so expensive, why do so many people keep on buying bigger and more powerful cars?

My latest car [65 plate] has the lowest emissions of any car I've owned over the last 40 years - it is also the most powerful AND economical of my last four 2-litre diesel motors

The answer you seek is - because of technological improvements

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

The difference is that oil is priced in dollars and for some reason sterling has tanked against the US Dollar. The exchange rate was considerably more favourable in 2008.

An unrelated question. If fuel is so expensive, why do so many people keep on buying bigger and more powerful cars?

A cursory look at a 10 year graph ( https://www.xe.com/currencycharts/?from=GBP&to=USD&view=10Y ) suggests the biggest fall was just after the middle of the year in 2016 and that the pound has never been able to recover to those levels against the dollar since whatever might have caused that

 

[Brovion]

That was climate change people who don't like petrol/diesel. These are people that love petrol/diesel as they rely on it for their livelihood but don't like paying nearly double what they paid just a few years ago. Fairly understandable I would I thought.

Meh, Tomayto tomato. Basically both protests were by groups of people who think that the government should be doing 'something about something' and thought that the best way to achieve their aims was to piss off ordinary working people. One day somebody might organise a protest that, y'know, is actually aimed at the people who matter. Punch up, don't punch down. (And I say that as a veteran of loads of marches protests and demos, the vast majority of which achieved absolutely **** all)

 

[beorhthelm]

That was climate change people who don't like petrol/diesel. These are people that love petrol/diesel as they rely on it for their livelihood but don't like paying nearly double what they paid just a few years ago. Fairly understandable I would I thought.

needs to be highlighted a factor in the current fuel price crisis is response to the climate change crisis. policy has been towards reducing investment in carbon fuels, less exploration, less extraction, less production. then cutting off one major supplier, while not providing supply elsewhere, contributes to doubling of price.

that said government is enjoying large extra revenues from duty and VAT they could cut, to ease the problem short term.

 

[Stat Brother]

That was climate change people who don't like petrol/diesel. These are people that love petrol/diesel as they rely on it for their livelihood but don't like paying nearly double what they paid just a few years ago. Fairly understandable I would I thought.

Completely opposite ends of the spectrum and yet the choose to protest in exactly the same way.
Hit us in our total dependency on the internal combustion engine.

I don't have to do any mental gymnastics, I've not called either group 'scum of the earth' as I agree with both protests but I don't agree with taking it out on Joseph and Josephine Bloggs.

We know this government couldn't give a flying about Joe Bloggs and probably somewhere in Westminster l, someone is pleased we're taking our frustrations out on each other.

I don't know what form of 'direct action' I'm in favour of, so until I see it I guess I have to give this and last year's near identical action my nodding approval. (Im sure they're elated)

 

[jessiejames]

Meh, Tomayto tomato. Basically both protests were by groups of people who think that the government should be doing 'something about something' and thought that the best way to achieve their aims was to piss off ordinary working people. One day somebody might organise a protest that, y'know, is actually aimed at the people who matter. Punch up, don't punch down. (And I say that as a veteran of loads of marches protests and demos, the vast majority of which achieved absolutely **** all)

But fuel prices hit everyone. Everything you buy and even owned has been in a lorry. Haulage companies put up the prices due to cost fuel, so we all end up paying more.

 

[Brovion]

But fuel prices hit everyone. Everything you buy and even owned has been in a lorry. Haulage companies put up the prices due to cost fuel, so we all end up paying more.

I don't disagree (and as I know you're a lorry driver directly affected by this your opinion on this carries more weight than those of us who just pontificate). Also I will grudgingly accept that at least the protest 'venue' (the motorways) was relevant and wasn't just picked as an easy target and as a place to simply cause maximum disruption. But my point stands. Pissing off ordinary people really doesn't help, and indeed plays right into the government hands. For all the people who say it's for an excellent cause and for the greater good there are those of us who rage at the disruption. We turn on each other, and the people who can make the difference look on untroubled. Go and blockade 10 Downing Street, Westminster, Johnson's home, Carrie's yoga class, Sunak's servants, etc. Irritate them, not us.

 

[Stat Brother]

Please feel sorry for me

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2...ivers-on-the-soaring-petrol-and-diesel-prices

I have to commute from Cornwall to London.



Seemingly 13 arrested for closing motorways.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-62034278


But remember folks this is completely different.