dombanks Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 dibby and stephenH are kind of on the mark, this is nick robinsons commentry which makes sense Ministers risk looking like Corporal Jones in TV's Dad's Army as their insistence that there is no need to panic about the possibility of an impending strike by tanker drivers looks like, well, panic. It's clear that Francis Maude went more than a little off-piste when he suggested motorists might consider filling up a "jerry can" and putting it in the garage, as well as filling up their tank. However, it's also clear that the government has had a strategy since the weekend - and well before the Tory funding allegations emerged - of encouraging stories which might persuade car drivers to stock up with petrol. On Sunday, for example, the BBC and some newspapers ran reports about troops being trained to drive tankers in the event of a strike. When ministers met to plan for a possible fuel strike they were warned that since the last one, in 2000, many petrol stations had closed and, therefore, petrol stocks outside the refineries were much lower. They were also told that people who normally drive around with their tanks less than a third full increased that to more than four-fifths during the last strike. Hot issue Thus, they concluded that if they could get drivers to fill up long before a strike they could significantly increase the nation's stock of fuel and decrease the impact of a strike. Tory folklore recalls that one reason Mrs Thatcher defeated the miners' strikes of 1984 was because she had made contingency plans and built up coal stocks outside the mines. So, there was, if you like, an attempt to induce slow, steady, controlled panic buying of petrol long before the tanker driver's union, Unite, even name a strike date - which incidentally it hasn't done yet, and still may not. What today has revealed is that - as the contradictory nature of those words suggest - panics are rarely slow, steady and controlled, particularly if a minister goes off his script and the media latches onto a narrative about a government that is making mistakes and looking out of touch. **** NOTE: this was copied from the nick robinson politics page @BBC for reference here is the page:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17542536 ***** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dibby Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 I hate the media hysteria. When a minister suggests people 'may' consider filling a jerry can doesn't mean everyone must go out, buy as much as you can in old lemonade bottles and store your fuel next to your cooker. For crying out loud, can't we take comments in context any more? Seems common sense isn't that common after all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff oakley Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Here's a different angle of attack.... Unite, which is representing the tanker drivers is also the Labour Party's largest sponsor, so there are good relationships between the Labour Party MP's and Unite. Why, instead of barking like dogs at the government in Westminster and getting nowhere other than further lowering our opinions of the average politician do they not work with Unite to avoid the strike. Agree that whilst there may be grievances it's in the best interests of the country, whom the MP's represent, to get the economy moving again, not to hinder it. What a prize it would be if the labour opposition could prevent the strike while the government stood back (I'm not a labour supporter, just offering an opinion). However, if the labour party MP's do not get involved, or even worse, sit back and support the strike, then a fair chunk of the MP's we have elected to run the country are guilty of sitting on their hands for the sake of party politics when they could genuinely be helping the country through the greater financial challenges we face. Sits back with beer and popcorn... Or Labour have not done anything about it because the goverment appearing to be in disaray makes them look good. At the moment Labour are well up in the polls which is incredible with Milliband in charge. If they go against Unite, they may not fund the labour party, if they go against the drivers it looks like they are supporting the goverment plans to break the strike. What this has shown is how the country is now so reliant upon just in time deliveries. Most of the big supermarkets have fuel bunkers so food supplies will be okay for a while, but that won't stop the shelves clearing as well if the strike is announced. Good job we are not in a World War with rationing, some could just not cope without there kiwi fruit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamnreeves Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Made me laugh. How niave the government appear to be at the moment. There is no such thing as slow panic. The very hint that there maybe panic of course means that most people will think I better fill up before the panic, which brings on the panic sooner Also known as a self fulfilling prophecy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobC Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 if I didn't have ties to this country I would have left a long time ago... anyone else see the other story from yesterday about the two dopes who had 10k of cannabis nicked from them and they rang the police... saddening state of affairs... If it ain't fuel strikes it ginsters pasty... I ask you... really... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven (WE51STE) Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 I have to take issue with one comment :- Tory folklore recalls that one reason Mrs Thatcher defeated the miners' strikes of 1984 was because she had made contingency plans and built up coal stocks outside the mines. In reality it was Mr Scargill who defeated the miners by not holding a national ballot regarding strike action. If he had of held an official ballot of all the miners the whole county would have come out on strike and there would not have been the fragmentation of the unions. Instead of holding a democratic ballot the union leader decided to do it his own way and handed the victory to Mrs Thatcher. And a side order of the captains finest popcorn. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dibby Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Fingers crossed it carries on, got a wedding evening do in Kent for a 'mate' I've only met twice, over 5 hours drive each way and a hotel bill I really can't be bothered with. No fuel would make an excellent excuse to get out of it. As long as there is unleaded in the Westie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
echoz Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 who needs to know if theres fuel or not fella, send that email just done my "panic buying, felt a right **** being sat amongs the mongs of society Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Verona Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 I believe that Scargill was in a meeting of the NMU executive arguing for a strike and was meeting strong resistance. He called for a "comfort" break and then went down to the waiting press and announced the executive had voted for strike action. He then informed the rest of the executive and it was a fait accompli. I was living in Essex at the time but was travelling to Sheffield once or twice a week. Stopped many times by the Police to explain why I was travelling north. Some years later I befriended the Sergeant of the mounted section and heard all the stories about the strike - and Hillsborough, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s2rrr Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Most garages only carry a relatively small stock of fuel in there tanks, probably enough to require restocking every few days or maybe weekly. The panic buying has created an 80% increase in sales and that is all floating about in cars or in the proverbial jerry cans. The unions and employers are talking on Monday and maybe things will be getting back to some common sense by then. Sadly if we hadn't gotten on our bikes years ago and rely so much on cars we wouldn't be in this position but thats another story isn't it. Soon be Easter, a day off tomorrow and if the weathers good I may just venture out and fill the Westfield up and waste a bit of fuel on gratuitous enjoyment. Then sit in a queue and hopefully fill it up again. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Man On The Clapham Omnibus Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 I've still got loads of bogrolls from when that was short in 1973... A local pub has a sign saying: "Beer shortage soon - panic buy now!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
langy Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 A local pub has a sign saying: "Beer shortage soon - panic buy now!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
echoz Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 off to BnQ in teh morn to buy a hosepipe before they announce a ban on them aswell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Algar - Competition Secretary Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Trackday next wednesday about 3 hrs away, so that's going to be fun, getting fuel for the Race car and tow car :bangshead: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Everall Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 You might get there and not back! 3 sisters is in only 2 weeks time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so looks like I wount be going anywhere testing then - bollix, bollix and double bollix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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