UK fuel protests around the corner?

The escalating fuel price is raising the spectre of widespread fuel protests in the UK. Although there is no hard evidence of planned action, there are various pointers which mean that the potential for protests commencing in the next few days is very high.

Factors include:
• A warning issued nine days ago by David Handley, one of the key organisers of the 2000 UK fuel protests, that the government was being given seven days to lower duty on fuel otherwise action would be taken.

• The launch yesterday of a group called ‘British Hauliers’ whose stated remit is to work towards lowering fuel costs.

• The results of a Churchill survey published yesterday which showed that up to 70 percent of motorists would support a repeat of the 2000 fuel blockades.

• An attempt by chain-email letter to start a ‘campaign to reduce UK petrol prices’ by boycotting the two Esso and BP until the companies’ lower their petrol prices to below 70 pence a litre for unleaded.

• Next week’s local and European elections – protestors are likely to take action before the elections to increase the political pressure on the government.

Given the above indicators, businesses would be well advised to make contingency preparations. Little or no warning is likely to be given and, following the lessons learned during 2000 by protestors, any action is likely to be effective.

•Date: 2nd June 2004 •Region: UK •Type: Article •Topic: Warnings
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