Fuel protests in the United Kingdom
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The fuel protests in the
Subsequent protests have not had as significant an impact but did result in panic buying in 2005, and again in 2007.
Ongoing protests are taking place in the United Kingdom in 2022 as a result of record high fuel prices due to the war in Ukraine.
Background
In the United Kingdom, tax on fuel for road use is made up of two elements—
2000
By 2000, tax accounted for 81.5% of the total cost of unleaded petrol, up from 72.8% in 1993.
Timeline and effects
In 1999, lorry drivers had undertaken protests in London against rising fuel prices and announced their intentions for a nationwide campaign.[8] The Conservative Party organised a day of protest on 29 July 2000 to draw attention to how fuel prices had increased under Labour, visiting town centres with petitions and distributing leaflets.[9] The Boycott the Pumps campaign, also referred to as Dump the Pumps, was organised for 1 August 2000, with motorists being urged not to visit petrol stations on that day.[9] Support for the day was reported to be patchy, with forecourts in the North-West being hit the hardest, some reporting a 50% drop in business.[10]
On 8 September 2000, the
The protests spread so that on 10 September 2000 they included facilities at the Manchester Fuels Terminal,
The campaign is against the government, it's a government taxation issue - it [the government] is not addressing what the protesters want.
By Tuesday 12 September 2000, 3,000 petrol stations were reported to be closed due to a lack of fuel.
On 13 September 2000 the government announced that 5% of normal fuel deliveries were made, however other reports indicated that only 3.8% amounting to 5,000,000 litres (1,100,000 imp gal; 1,300,000 US gal) compared with a normal daily sale of 131,000,000 litres (29,000,000 imp gal; 35,000,000 US gal).
On 14 September 2000, the protests began to end.
By 16 September 2000, supplies were beginning to be restored, at first only to the government designated petrol stations, the number of which had risen to 3,300.
The conditions which catalysed and sustained the fuel protests of 2000 can be understood in terms of social movement theory, for example the existence of pre-existing social networks, capacity and resources.[34]
Reaction
During the protests the oil companies were accused of
Were we to yield to that pressure it would run counter to every democratic principle this country believes in, and what is more, if the government was to decide its policy on taxes in response to such behaviour, the credibility of economic policy vital to any country would be severely damaged and I will simply not allow that to happen.
— Tony Blair, [7]
The government stated that they would not back down[7] in the face of protests or introduce an emergency budget.[19] The government argued that the rise in prices was due to increases in the world oil market prices and not the government's fuel duty.[7] Whilst agreeing that the government could not make policy in response to the blockades, William Hague, Leader of the Opposition criticised the government for having increased taxes, whilst the Liberal Democrats argued that the government should have responded to the protest much earlier.[18] The Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union called for a reduction in fuel duties during the action.[17]
A BBC opinion poll conducted by ICM of 514 people by telephone showed that the public support on 12 September 2000 for the protesters stood at 78% until the possibility of essential services being affected when it fell to 36%.[26] An opinion poll for the Daily Mail of 502 people showed that over three-quarters thought the government had handled the crisis badly.[29] Two opinion polls shortly after the protests had ended showed the Conservative Party had overtaken or reached equal standing with the governing Labour Party.[31] By November support for the renewal of protests and the revival of the Conservative's fortunes had both been reduced, with Labour retaking a poll lead.[37]
Consequences
In his
A renewed protest that same month, involving a
2005
In August 2005, petrol increased in price to record highs of over 90 pence,[45] with a small number of stations charging over £1 a litre.[46] In September the average price had reached 94.6p a litre,[45] with the rise being partially blamed on decreased world supply after Hurricane Katrina caused damage to some oil facilities in the United States of America.[47]
The BBC reported on 7 September 2005 that the group responsible for the blockades in September 2000 was threatening to stage protests at oil refineries from 0600 BST on 14 September 2005 unless reductions in fuel duty were made.[48] Newspapers reported that on 10 September 2005, the government had drawn up contingency plans to maintain the supply of fuel, including using 1000 army drivers to operate tankers, introducing fuel rationing[49] and confiscating the driving licences of those who broke the law.[50] Panic buying was reported on 13 September 2005 as drivers stocked up on fuel with drivers reported to be waiting an hour to fill their vehicles with petrol.[51] At its height, around 3,000 petrol stations were emptied of fuel.[52]
However, on 14 September 2005, only a small number of protesters arrived at the refineries with no intention to start blockading the entrances. The UK Petroleum Industry Association said the day's protest had proved "thankfully amazingly quiet",
In responding to the protests, the government argued that lower than needed supplies by OPEC and the Katrina hurricane had a more significant impact on the price of fuel than the level of duty.[56]
2007
This section needs additional citations for verification. (October 2021) |
Towards the end of 2007, fuel prices exceeded £1 per litre with a 2 pence rise in fuel tax in October, resulting in the highest diesel prices and the fourth highest for petrol in Europe.[57] New protests were planned by two unconnected groups, one called "Transaction 2007" and the Road Haulage Association (RHA).[57] The Scottish branch of the RHA proposed a rolling roadblock by around 30 vehicles, whereas Transaction 2007 intended to protest outside oil refineries.[57] Whilst the rolling road block attracted 45 vehicles driving at around 40 miles per hour (64 km/h) on several motorways,[58] the level of protest at oil refineries was lower than in 2000.[59] One of the campaign aims of the RHA was the introduction of a fuel price regulator who would control duty during periods which was supported by Alex Salmond, First Minister of Scotland.[58]
The protests of this period were not widely supported nor did they cause the same disruption as those in previous years. The 2007 protest which took place at the latter end of the year, culminated in 200–300 lorries descending on
2022
As a result of the war in Ukraine pushing the global barrel price of oil to record highs, fuel prices followed. This resulted in the highest ever fuel prices recorded in the UK. In early July, the average price for a litre of diesel reached 199.09p, while the average unleaded price was 191.55p per litre. Many petrol stations, particularly in rural areas and on motorways, were charging in excess of £2 per litre for both fuels. Protests were planned for 4 July via social media in numerous locations around the country. These demonstrations aim to push the government towards cutting fuel duty paid on fuel to lower the pump prices.[61]
Support for these protests is mixed, with many happy to see action finally being taken against rising fuel costs. Others deem that this action will be largely ignored and instead cause motorists to buy more fuel due to the traffic that has been caused.[citation needed]
Gwent Police had arrested 12 people in connection to protests along the M4.[62] They said there had been a legal notice in place banning demonstrators from driving below 30mph. "The moving protest started at around 7.00am this morning, at 8.30am four people were arrested with another eight people arrested at around 10.45am," their statement said. Furthermore, "All twelve people were arrested for breaching the legal notice by driving at under 30 mph for a prolonged amount of time." was said. Devon and Cornwall Police also released a statement saying that protests on the M5 were taken in a "safe and legal manner". "Officers escorted three vehicles off the road near Buckfastleigh. These drivers were given formal warnings and were advised over acceptable parameters of their protests, including a minimum speed and leaving lanes clear," said Superintendent Adrian Leisk.[63] West Yorkshire Police had police deployed at Ferrybridge services, who deployed a stinger to stop motorists from leaving the services to take part in a protest on the M62 eastbound. They have defended the use of a stinger in this way and said that it acknowledged "the importance of lawful protests but will deal swiftly with any criminal offences". "It is clear deliberate disruption of the network will inconvenience huge numbers of people, draw police resources away from other important work and potentially delay the response times of all emergency services," the force tweeted.[64]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e "UK fuel tax: The facts". BBC News. BBC. 29 July 2000. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ a b c Harrabin, Roger (5 October 2004). "Fuel protest costs treasury £2bn yearly". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ House of Commons. 9 March 1999. col. 181.
- ^ a b Hetherington, Peter; Ward, David (11 September 2000). "Fuel crisis looms as pickets hit depots". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 January 2008.
- ^ a b "Action on vital fuel supplies". BBC News. BBC. 12 September 2000. Retrieved 12 January 2008. [dead link]
- ^ a b "Petrol price rise anger". BBC News. BBC. 7 September 2000. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f "Crisis 'to end in 24 hours' - Blair". BBC News. BBC. 12 September 2000. Archived from the original on 25 December 2002. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ "Truckers plan nation wide protest". BBC News. BBC. 30 March 1999.
- ^ a b "Tories stage petrol protest". BBC News. BBC. 29 July 2000. Retrieved 24 November 2007.
- ^ Pook, Sally (2 August 2000). "Fuel price protest day gets limited support". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 13 January 2008.[dead link]
- ^ "Refinery hit by fuel protesters". BBC News. BBC. 8 September 2000. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ "Protests trigger first fuel shortages". BBC News. BBC. 9 September 2000. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ Hetherington, Peter; Jon Henley (9 September 2000). "French-style fuel protest hits Britain". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ a b Elliott, Larry; White, Michael (9 November 2000). "Brown's £4.7bn to buy off protesters". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 January 2008.
- ^ a b "Fuel dwindles as protests spread". BBC News. BBC. 10 September 2000. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ Hetherington, Peter; Patrick Wintour; Charlotte Denny (12 September 2000). "Panic as oil blockade bites". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ a b "UK fuel shortages worsen". BBC News. BBC. 10 September 2000.
- ^ a b c d e f "Blair turns heat on oil industry". BBC News. BBC. 12 September 2000. Retrieved 27 December 2007.
- ^ a b c d "Tankers back on UK roads". BBC News. BBC. 13 September 2000. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ "Fuel crisis starts to bite". BBC News. BBC. 13 September 2000. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f Wintour, Patrick; Jamie Wilson (14 September 2000). "Britain grinds to a halt as Blair's pleas are ignored". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ "Fuel crisis brings chaos to NHS". BBC News. BBC. 12 September 2000. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ "Fresh Europe fuel protests flare as others end". CNN. 14 September 2000. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ a b c d e "UK fuel blockades tumble". BBC News. BBC. 14 September 2000. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ "Fuel crisis hits services". BBC News. BBC. 14 September 2000. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ a b "Fuel supplies trickle through". BBC News. BBC. 13 September 2000. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ Dodd, Vikram (14 September 2000). "Protest in capital foiled but northern rush hour hit". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ a b Hathaway, Phil. "The effect of the fuel 'protest' on road traffic" (PDF). Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 February 2004. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ a b "Fuel crisis post mortem begins". BBC News. BBC. 13 September 2000. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ "Fuel crisis starts to bite". BBC News. BBC. 13 September 2000. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ a b "Drivers kept waiting as shortages ease". BBC News. BBC. 17 September 2000. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- TheGuardian.com. 16 September 2000.
- ^ "Europe fuel protests begin to crack". CNN. 14 September 2000. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
- S2CID 43977400.
- ^ a b c d e Hetherington, Peter; Charlotte Denny (13 September 2000). "Oil giants accused of collusion". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ "Union wants inquiry into fuel protests". BBC News. BBC. 18 September 2000. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ Maguire, Kevin; White, Michael (7 November 2000). "Public backs away from fuel tax protests". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 January 2008.
- ^ "Chancellor freezes fuel in cautious pre-Budget". The Daily Telegraph. 8 November 2000. Archived from the original on 14 May 2008. Retrieved 13 January 2008.
- ^ "Fuel protesters face exclusion zone". BBC News. BBC. 10 November 2000. Retrieved 13 January 2008.
- ^ "Fuel convoy rolls on". BBC News. BBC. 13 November 2000. Retrieved 13 January 2008.
- ^ a b Chrisafis, Angelique (15 November 2000). "Fuel protest crawls into London". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ Hetherington, Peter; Maguire, Kevin (4 November 2000). "Panic buying starts despite appeals". The Guardian.
- ^ "Wales: First Minister's Questions (05/10/04)". BBC News. BBC. 7 October 2004. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ "Fuel prices an issue in the 2004 elections". BBC News. BBC. 5 December 2004. Retrieved 13 January 2008.
- ^ a b "UK petrol prices continue to rise". BBC News. BBC. 5 September 2005. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ "Further fuel protests threatened". BBC News. BBC. 7 September 2005. Retrieved 24 November 2007.
- ^ Wainwright, Martin (8 September 2005). "Protesters threaten to blockade oil refineries". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ "Further fuel protests threatened". BBC News. BBC. 14 September 2005. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ Brady, Brian (11 September 2005). "Fuel crisis: drivers face rationing". The Scotsman. Johnston Press plc. Retrieved 24 November 2007.
- ^ "Relief after few attend protests". BBC News. BBC. 14 September 2005. Retrieved 24 November 2007.
- ^ Laville, Sandra; Vikram Dodd (14 September 2005). "Panic buying begins as motorists fear petrol blockades". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ Knight, Sam (14 September 2005). "Petrol protest fails to ignite". The Times. London. Retrieved 24 November 2007.
- ^ Satchell, Clarissa (14 September 2005). "What petrol demo?". Manchester Evening News. M.E.N. Media. Retrieved 24 November 2007.
- ^ Byrne, Paul; Jeremy Armstrong (15 September 2005). "Protest? what protest?". The Mirror. MGN Ltd. Retrieved 24 November 2007.
- ^ Lister, Sam (15 September 2005). "Two join in 'damp squib' fuel protest". Liverpool Echo. Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales Limited. Retrieved 24 November 2007.
- ^ a b Morris, Steven (17 September 2005). "Fuel protesters defy police as convoy crawl jams motorway". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ a b c "Keep to law, fuel protesters told". BBC News. BBC. 14 December 2007. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ a b "Drivers protest over fuel costs". BBC News. BBC. 15 December 2007. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ "Low turnout for fuel price demos". BBC News. BBC. 15 December 2007. Retrieved 15 December 2007.
- ^ "2011 Budget Taxation Overview" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 May 2011.
- ^ "Warning of 12 hours of travel chaos as roadblocks hit UK roads - follow live". The Independent. 4 July 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ^ "Police arrest 12 protesters over M4 fuel price 'go-slow'". South Wales Argus. 4 July 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ^ "Devon & Cornwall Police arrest driver following series of fuel price protests". Pirate FM. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ^ "Police defend use of 'stinger' at M62 fuel protest". ITV News. 4 July 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
External links
- BBC In Depth - World Fuel Crisis 2000
- BBC News Reports in Real Media Format during the 2000 protests
- Truckers in diesel price protest - May '08
- AA Petrol Price survey and AAPetrolBusters.com price comparison website on the Wayback machine, showing prices over time. The current price survey is slightly out of the date and AAPetrolBusters.comhas ceased operations.