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Protesters’ show of strength over fuel price hikes

Published date: 31 January 2011 |
Published by: Staff reporter

 

FED-up motorists took to Stanlow Oil Refinery in Ellesmere Port on Friday night to stage a mass protest over rising fuel costs.

More than 150 cars, vans and trucks joined a slow-moving convoy along the A5117.
Protesters, who met at Chester Services, Junction 14 of the M56 shortly before 8pm, arrived at the fuel plant at 9pm where they staged a drive-past and waved banners bearing slogans such as ‘RIP the driver’ and ‘Fuel duty is highway robbery’.

Organiser Kevin Bowker, 40, from Saltney, said the government needed to act on fuel prices.

Speaking to the Leader after the demonstration, he said: “Everybody has complained about fuel prices but nothing has been done so I thought I would take it upon myself.

“It costs me £85 to fill up my Vauxhall Vectra now which is just outrageous. It used to be £60. Our aim is to get the price of each litre below £1.

“There was a massive police presence but they were very helpful and made sure we had a clear route. They gave us the chance to do our thing in a peaceful way.

“There was a real spirit of camaraderie and everyone enjoyed it. This is just the start of things for us.”

Father-of-four Kevin has gained the support of more than 350 people on a group on the social networking website Facebook, set up with friend Stephen Johnstone.

One member wrote: “We will get the result eventually. We just have to stay the course and keep going.”

Another wrote: “I couldn’t attend because I couldn’t afford the petrol to get there.”
The pair are already planning their next protest.

Kevin added: “There will be another demonstration very soon, possibly at the end of February. It will be at the same place but on a much bigger scale with the support of a lot more people.

“Watch this space.”

The price of petrol has rocketed to record figures with some stations across Chester and Ellesmere Port charging as much as 130.90p and 135.90p for diesel.

This protest follows a number of blockades and go-slows at the Ellesmere Port-based site over the years.

In 2000 about 100 farmers and truckers blocked access to the refinery, followed by two protests in 2005.

The most recent blockade came in 2008, after more than 130 protesters blockaded the oil refinery for about four hours following a hike in fuel duty.

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  1. Posted by: liberty1 at 11:36 on 31 January 2011 Report

    crapman , surely with all the money you pretend to have and the company BMW the price of fuel will not have any affect on your pocket , to be a good liar you have to have a good memory, have I hit the nerve again?

  2. Posted by: a cahill at 13:19 on 31 January 2011 Report

    If the cost of fuel continues to rise it will be cheaper to return to the days of horse drawn transport...and steam trains...no problems with potholes and boy racers can be called boy gladiators with a plentiful suppl;y of organic fertilizer

  3. Posted by: truth hurts at 14:34 on 31 January 2011 Report

    No comment from Brynle? Oh sorry forgot, now he's part of the Tory 'establishment' he doesn't want to rock the boat!

  4. Posted by: liberty1 at 14:38 on 31 January 2011 Report

    th ,he always was a closet Tory doing their dirty business with a promise that he would be co opted onto the WAG,

  5. Posted by: InMyOpinion at 14:49 on 31 January 2011 Report

    Oh come on now Scrapman, the most inconsiderate drivers are bus drivers pulling out without indication or warning... as for the fuel protest, I'm surprised it has not happened sooner, and anyone who expected Brynle Williams to do as he promised is living in a dream world.

  6. Posted by: liberty1 at 15:26 on 31 January 2011 Report

    IMO , very true but sadly many people do believe what the Tories tell them , good job people like you and me can see through them.

  7. Posted by: InMyOpinion at 15:43 on 31 January 2011 Report

    lib, its not just him though, most of these have a go hero's make a name for themselves, get to be an MP or AM then forget how they got there. then they wonder what it is they have done to upset everyone. I would have thought he of all people would be at the forefront of any demonstration against fuel hikes.. but hes not there at all, and by all accounts he's not going to be.

  8. Posted by: penyffordd_district at 18:02 on 31 January 2011 Report

    Well said Scrapman. Our glorious politicians allow lorries to tailgate with immunity. They kill car drivers and then get a slap on the wrist. Tail gaiting lorry drivers and bus drivers should be put in jail. Did the skiing go ok?

  9. Posted by: penyffordd_district at 18:06 on 31 January 2011 Report

    Further thoughts. If you want to slow down the economy and make inflation rise just put up fuel prices. OK for me but not OK for parents of families that have to travel long distances to and from work.

  10. Posted by: penyffordd_district at 18:10 on 31 January 2011 Report

    Won't mention speeding in Chester Rd, Penyffordd as Police Inspector Martin Best says there isn't any. A new community policing policy, just say it isn't happening.

  11. Posted by: tommy at 18:37 on 31 January 2011 Report

    the protest was about fuel price increases..It seems UK plc is the place to be if you are a business who wants to screw the people .The government are puppets of the bankers,oil companies and the arms industry.The brits voted in their greatest enemy,the downing street shirt lifting ex etonian millionaires club,who are so far up their own ego's and so divorced from reality that it has now becoming criminal to let these people rule.

  12. Posted by: PLH000 at 19:38 on 31 January 2011 Report

    According to 'liberty1' "sadly many people believe what the Tories tell them, good job people like you & others see through them"....pity then that more people didn't see through the last lot of champagne socialists ! -The very same 'elected & accountable' control-freek twats who spent all the money on such wonders as PFI, Iraq, MOD overspends, £600 Million + to Afganistan, £400 mil' + to Pakistan, promised but not delivered EU referendoms

  13. Posted by: PLH000 at 19:46 on 31 January 2011 Report

    The same people who are bleating about logical spending cuts, are same people who voted in the last happy bunch in three times ! Go on the Downing street website, Blair & Brown said -start a petition they said, and we will act on it !...yeh right....didn't take much notice of the 'stop the war' demo? Yes most governments are puppets to the military industrial & pharmacutical industry, just as D.Eisenhower said it would be...

  14. Posted by: PLH000 at 19:52 on 31 January 2011 Report

    The moral of this story is : Left / Right / Socialist / Conservative -all shades of the same problem...they are now tied by political correctness (marxism/communism by the back door) to effect much real and bold change, value for your tax money spent. So cut the partisan crap, it's all a big smokescreen.

  15. Posted by: liberty1 at 20:18 on 31 January 2011 Report

    poo , could have been a good comment if you had not reverted to the use of obscene language , if in doubt leave it out.

  16. Posted by: PLH000 at 22:22 on 31 January 2011 Report

    'liberty1' ; A really non-useful & pedantic point you make ! Why not be constructive and for example; -Talk about why the tax on LPG vehicle fuel is a lot higher than ever, on a originally touted good alternative to petro-chemicals. -Why not more co-ordination & subsidy help for people wanting to use fresh and/or used chip cooking oil for vehicles ? -even if only some vehicles injection systems are easier to convert than others. Ect', ect' ?

  17. Posted by: nomad at 23:44 on 31 January 2011 Report

    i have got to agree wagon drivers think they own the moterway, and most drive dangerously,and to fast haulage should be back on the rail,wagons cause nearly all the acidents

  18. Posted by: nomad at 00:05 on 01 February 2011 Report

    its discusting to use obscene language like that on here , its a pitty but some people just got no manners its got alot to do with the way people are draged up this day and age

  19. Posted by: a cahill at 09:18 on 01 February 2011 Report

    Brazil does it... despite its economic problems...alternative fuel sources from alchol and crops...What is wrong is the lack of creativity and forward thinking in British Politcal circles...the tendency to become business friendly is purely and simply a way to avoid upsetting the long standing links between business and Govt

  20. Posted by: PLH000 at 14:58 on 01 February 2011 Report

    Nice compliment Mr Scrapman, all the best to you in 2011. You tell your critics where to go ! 'a cahill' : Well said about the fuel alternatives. The biggest problem is not how to develope alternatives, they have been with us for decades, but the usual obsticle of vested interests of oil companies not wanting other competition & fuel alternatives that are too good & economical & cheep for vehicle users.....can't have that ! god no !

  21. Posted by: PLH000 at 15:19 on 01 February 2011 Report

    To 'nomad' ; Instead of being po-faced & royalty sounding about some 'bad language' containing' comments here, why not actually contribute to the fuel debate. For instance, if you are a taxpayer, did you think you had value for your tax paid by the last government ?, where the fuel decisions taken fair & imaginative ?

  22. Posted by: PLH000 at 15:34 on 01 February 2011 Report

    I think most fair minded, non-prudish people (nomad) would agree i am making fair points, using eloquent, succinct, non-condescending, non-patronising & straight-to-the-point questions to get some people thinking past dogmatic official explanations. Easy to make brief, glib comments by the easily offended -eh 'Nomad' !

  23. Posted by: nomad at 15:44 on 01 February 2011 Report

    ok i like the idea of labour, i just think the last lot were not very good at there job, no experiance, in normal life, just like all politistions in any party,and i think they all worry about the planet to much, if it was up to me i would half the tax on fuel,and put income tax up 2p. continue

  24. Posted by: nomad at 15:52 on 01 February 2011 Report

    and make all loop holes for big companys illegall so they pay the same percentage of tax as every one else,then we would not have to pay top money for fuel and i would give the council houses back to the poor

  25. Posted by: nomad at 16:01 on 01 February 2011 Report

    i think that horrible ugly women maggy thatcher started all these problems, she invented the mrs bucket, who bought the council house, who thinks the concervatives like her, we dont need cuts we need more money invesment, and more taxation for the rich to make more jobs for the poor

  26. Posted by: a cahill at 18:03 on 01 February 2011 Report

    Nomad...the point is that over the years all Govts have used tax on fuel as a cash cow...the much vaunted green credentials of parties are shredded when in power they refuse to invest in alternative fuels and tax them at a higher rate than the oil companies products...not much sense in promoting green energy if you tax it to the hilt is there ??

  27. Posted by: PLH000 at 19:02 on 01 February 2011 Report

    Spot-on 'a cahill' ! I'me glad me old friend 'nomad' is feeling better & able to contribute a bit more to this debate ! (only a bit though) When people trot out the same quote; when Maggie was in, she did bad ! arhh !....might as well blame Gorbechov from soviet days ! STICK TO THE FUEL DEBATE PLEASE 'nomad' (d'oh !)

  28. Posted by: PLH000 at 19:16 on 01 February 2011 Report

    Hasn't it been nice and quiet since 'liberty1' stopped posting pearls of wisdom?....it really has! ,probably gone to a hermitage to recover from all the fed-up & dis-enfranchised taxpayers, who unfortunately might use the occasional expletive in comments.....sorry to any shrinking violets out there ! Sorry also for not keeping to the fuel debate myself.

  29. Posted by: liberty1 at 19:32 on 01 February 2011 Report

    Poo , as you have shown you are of the same ilk as Mr Cahill/crapman , pompous and so far up your own Tory backside that if anyone dare criticise you your dummy comes out the pram at 100 mph , as for crapman ,have I hit that nerve again loser?

  30. Posted by: PLH000 at 19:40 on 01 February 2011 Report

    The topic for today: Does 'liberty1' badly need a hug ? (or a gag?) .....the best answer wins a IMF bail-out voucher !

  31. Posted by: liberty1 at 20:11 on 01 February 2011 Report

    Poo ,glad to see that you were sitting by your computer waiting for me to finish work, get home and log on , have you been drafted in by Tory HQ? If you dont like paying your fair share like the rest of us why not use public transport or emigrate , hope this rattles your cage and your fowl mouth

  32. Posted by: PLH000 at 20:45 on 01 February 2011 Report

    Yes, i also work -7 days a week at my parents business, i was taking a break in between doing DIY, laying bricks in a cellar alteration, i will be doing this until 11 PM. -Thankyou for assuming the opposite & prejudiced view ! bud ! I have no political memberships either, just the common sense party ! You really are a big prude, you should have the usual leftist thick skin? --'liberty1'? ...taking a liberty by posting your yuckness.

  33. Posted by: PLH000 at 20:53 on 01 February 2011 Report

    Now children & 'liberty1', here is a scary story..........Once there was a wolf, a big bad Brown wolf..,who lived in a cosy burrow at a place called 'downing street'. Now this wolf, who often made bad wolfly decisions & had high blood pressure.....ended up huffing and puffing for years, and blew the whole flippin' economy & country down !!....arhhh ! Now children, don't have daymares now!

  34. Posted by: liberty1 at 20:58 on 01 February 2011 Report

    poo, for a start I am not your "bud" ,work for your parents, in other words unemployable elsewhere , on a farm? could be, "commonsense" a phrase usually used by someone with little experience of real life though they think they know everything, cellar alteration? sounds dodgy? prude/yuckness , words older people use.

  35. Posted by: liberty1 at 21:01 on 01 February 2011 Report

    poo , do the people who look after you know that you are using the computer?

  36. Posted by: tommy at 21:20 on 01 February 2011 Report

    The revolution in Egypt will lead to even bigger increases in the price of petrol.The USA and Europe are worried about the muslim revolution spreading throughout the Arab oil producing states.Shortly,Islam will get it's revenge for Iraq and Afghanistan.I suggest we all invest in pushbikes and growing our own veg:).

  37. Posted by: tommy at 21:27 on 01 February 2011 Report

    PLH000..I dont think anybody believes that New Labour represent socialism is any shape or form.Likewise the Tories we have in power now represent only their own class.So unless you are an ex-etonian millionaire dont fool yourself for a second that you have anything in common with them ,they wouldn't piss on you if you were on fire.

  38. Posted by: a cahill at 08:02 on 02 February 2011 Report

    How many times have you heard it said that Govts would tax the air that we breathe if they could....sudden realisation that they have managed to tax the Wind and Sea by taxing electricity generated by the natural resources

  39. Posted by: liberty1 at 20:59 on 02 February 2011 Report

    Mr Cahill ,which taxes do you pay straight out of your own pocket?

  40. Posted by: a cahill at 08:58 on 03 February 2011 Report

    Scrapman... you're dead right...Mrs Liberty does have an inordinate interest in others financial situation...probably likes to discuss it with the ladies of the self help HRT club

  41. Posted by: PLH000 at 13:49 on 03 February 2011 Report

    'Liberty1'... Your really are a muppet ! When you said you had just got back from work,.....the 'Socialist daily workers paper' ? It's thanks to people like you, that the country is in the state it is -worst in most EU league tables for problems ! I work hard & have just payed another tax bill, i have never claimed unemployment benefit -have you ? I am happy to dig ditches or pick crops, so i can work outdoors & stay fit & contribute.

  42. Posted by: PLH000 at 14:05 on 03 February 2011 Report

    'liberty1', as you can see, i do sarcasm very well if needed -so you shouldn't bother to wind me up. I much prefer to have sensible debates, as i started to about the fuel duty problem, with other sensible contributors here, but not you, no !..,.all you can do is get personal & guess what people are like. You are just like the idiots who go on TV progs' like 'Question Time' -- every time a sensible question is put by an member of public....people like you shout em' down!

  43. Posted by: liberty1 at 15:46 on 03 February 2011 Report

    Poo , if I wasnt winding you up you would not be wasting your precious time , you would be doing something constructive like looking for a proper job , no I have never signed on either , the country would be better off if people such as farmers and bankers didnt receive massive hand outs and were made to pay proper taxes.

  44. Posted by: liberty1 at 15:53 on 03 February 2011 Report

    Poo , as for sarcasm you have a very high opinion of yourself ,there have been many people who have and do contribute on here who are far more skilled in the art than the childish attempts from you , so away with you now you whippersnapper I have bigger fish to fry.

  45. Posted by: liberty1 at 16:03 on 03 February 2011 Report

    Mr Cahill , trying to cosy up to crapman for moral support ? mind you you do need it after your lot overseeing the VAT rise and the increase in fuel and what about selling off the forests? you and crapman together remind me of the 2 Davids but which one is the little puppet in the pocket?

  46. Posted by: liberty1 at 16:10 on 03 February 2011 Report

    Mr Cahill , in the middle of the excitement I almost forgot , dont be so gutless and answer the question , what taxes do you pay from your own pocket

  47. Posted by: a cahill at 10:48 on 04 February 2011 Report

    Lib 1....self employed plus usual council tax and hidden taxes...VAT....otherwise none of your business...how much of it goes to keep you in employment unknown...you "forgot in middle of the excitement"...sad old sod getting excited about comments on a newspaper forum !!.

  48. Posted by: liberty1 at 11:03 on 04 February 2011 Report

    Mr Cahill ,telling fibs now Tony and getting tetchy , feeling backed into a corner? " If you cant stand the heat ", I think you know the rest. Catch you later David.

  49. Posted by: a cahill at 11:38 on 04 February 2011 Report

    Can I rephrase that comment.... how much of it goes to keep you in benifits as you seem to have all day to post comments....yeah catch you later Rhys

  50. Posted by: a cahill at 13:08 on 04 February 2011 Report

    As already posted on a different article....thats what I like to see a reasoned and logical response to my comment...Shall pass then to the local nursery to see if the kids can understand them

  51. Posted by: liberty1 at 17:15 on 09 February 2011 Report

    Mr Cahill ,only just noticed your last 2 comments , your 11:38 comment is a rehash of one of my comments , one of the things you did a lot , oh well.

  52. Posted by: therealwelshwizard at 10:34 on 25 March 2011 Report

    135p a litre? I paid 142.9 for diesel on the day of the budget which is now obviously 1p dearer! I am a rural user and swiflty becoming confined to the hills for 6 days a week! I dread to think where it will end. No use depending on the likes of Brynly Williams who defected to the WAG!

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