Today's prize for patronising codswallop is headed
to Weybridge, and the RHA's trophy case.
"Earlier this week protesters certainly captured the media's attention
for what is an absolutely just cause, but handing yet another letter to No. 10
does not move us any further forward," said RHA Chief Executive Roger
King. "To have an impact we need to get directly involved with a
parliamentary process that will confront government face to face so that they
have to answer publicly as to what they propose to do. Fortunately this
amendment promises to do just that".
The RHA will be putting in motion what is intended to
be one of the biggest parliamentary lobby's of recent times. "Once we
have the date on which the Scottish National Party amendment is to be debated
we will advise members accordingly and urge them to attend to lobby their MP's.
In addition to the amendment we will also be campaigning for the October 2ppl
fuel duty increase to be abandoned," concluded Mr King.
I'm intrigued by the notion that direct involvement is
necessary now, not least because the RHA claims to do have been doing just this
anyway. To the website we go, and to this claim:
"The RHA continually negotiates on behalf of Members. Not just in the
high profile discussions that go on with the government over the national
issues, but every day of the week, every week of the year with everyone from
local planning committees and regional transport groups to the European
Commission.
Their discussions take in everything from Fuel and VED
rates to the Working Time Directive and changes in EC regulations on the
transport of goods. There is no administrative or legislative area that
concerns the industry that is not carefully scrutinised and actively pursued on
behalf of Members."
Which implies some degree of active as opposed to
passive involvement to me. And much good has it achieved.
The simple, stark fact remains that the RHA got this wrong, and it should be thus called to account. That it now seeks to climb on board a protest organized by
others, and appears to be claiming leadership of the same is both duplicitous and disingenuous.
Yesterday, we heard news that a US Senator is to bring
a bill before the Senate that will raise GVW on Federal Highways after diesel
reaches an agreed trigger point; $3.50 per gallon. That is real action; the
work of the fuel protestors over the last few weeks has been real action. The
words of the RHA are mere platitudinous drivel.