Just on the news the fishermen want help because red diesel has gone doubled in three years,
They are hitting the goverment because they cant afford the increases, this makes road haulage look like a laughing stock…
Whilst offering my full sympathy to the fishing industry (they have been crapped on even worse than haulage by successive governments) it just goes to prove which one is an obvious vote-winner… support the dirty smelly polluting environmentally-damaging lorries or the guys who are forced by EU laws to tip half their catch back into the sea as waste.
Well im not supporting them....im gonna stop eating fish n chips…ha ha
I dont use red diesel when i go fishing 
Saying that i drive a petrol car 
There’s always one eh 
gnasty gnome:
Whilst offering my full sympathy to the fishing industry (they have been crapped on even worse than haulage by successive governments) it just goes to prove which one is an obvious vote-winner… support the dirty smelly polluting environmentally-damaging lorries or the guys who are forced by EU laws to tip half their catch back into the sea as waste.
Perhaps you would care to enlighten us,which political party took us into The E.U. in the first place?
That’s what I love about Tories,they all seem to suffer from the same condition,selective amnesia. 
gsm31:
Perhaps you would care to enlighten us,which political party took us into The E.U. in the first place?
That’s what I love about Tories,they all seem to suffer from the same condition,selective amnesia.
Would you do me a favour please?
Nip out and get a life, you’re becoming repetitive. 
BTW, in ansewr to your question, the correct answer is that we were take into the E.E.C. by a cross-party group of Conservative, Labour and Liberal MP’s.
Heath, at the time, was running a minority government, so even if the Conservatives had been unanimously in favour it would have required a sizeable number of Labour MP’s to vote with them.
From Wikipedia…
Harold Wilson was elected in February 1974 in a minority Labour government, gaining a majority in another election shortly afterwards October 1974. It was a manifesto pledge in the general election of February 1974 for a Labour government to re-negotiate better terms for Britain in the EEC, and then hold a referendum on whether Britain should stay in the EEC on the new terms. On 9 April 1975, the House of Commons voted 396 (70%) to 170 (30%) in favour of retaining the Common Market on the new terms negotiated by Wilson’s government between April 1974 and March 1974. A deal had been reached in a meeting of heads of government in Dublin by 11 March. On 18 March, Wilson declared that “I believe that our re-negotiation objectives have been substantially though not completely achieved.” According to a government pamphlet issued for the referendum, “the most important (issues in the re-negotiation) were FOOD and MONEY and JOBS”.[
Four years down the line we had the infamous “Winter of Discontent” which I’m sure you’ll remember clearly.
Now who’s selctively amnesiac?
Politicians are all the same, no sooner than a party loses power they are moaning to the new govenment about about the way the country is being run (conveniently forgetting that they have got it that way in the first place)
A bit like football supporters who suddenly think that player x is a zb when he moves to a different club.
Yeah Poor Fishermen now crying for help with costs of carrying out their business 
Lets look at it this way
In Gale Force Winds Truck Drivers have the ability to Park up, Fishermen at sea dont !!!
Given the choice between Truck Driving and going out in the North Atlantic in a boat I know where I would be.
Fishing Quota’s have been cut drastically over the past 5 years, I dont recall any cuts in the number of Trucks being allowed into the UK
If this thread has proved one thing it’s simply how pathetic some truck drivers are becoming when they see somebody else standing up to the Government.
Good on the Fishermen I say, and its strange how nobody has mentioned the subsidies paid by the EC to the UK government for Fishermen that the government are not paying out.
Given the choice between Truck Driving and going out in the North Atlantic in a boat I know where I would be.
aint whaling been banned davey 
Davey Driver:
If this thread has proved one thing it’s simply how pathetic some truck drivers are becoming when they see somebody else standing up to the Government.Good on the Fishermen I say, and its strange how nobody has mentioned the subsidies paid by the EC to the UK government for Fishermen that the government are not paying out.
Read my post again Davey, and you’ll realise that I’m actually on the side of the fishermen.
What ■■■■■■ me off is that the Scottish govenment (or indeed the Westminster lot) are not lifting a finger to help the hauliers; reason being I suspect that saving the fishing industry is far more “photogenic” and will win them extra votes.
Mind you, as you rightly say the fishermen are standing up for themselves, more than can be said for the RHA, FTA and indeed the T&GWU. Good luck to them.
gnasty gnome:
Read my post again Davey, and you’ll realise that I’m actually on the side of the fishermen.
Sorry mate it wasn’t aimed at you 
I did a letter (E-Mail) to Our local MP around 3 weeks ago, highlighting the fact that there are less and less parking areas in the North East for Trucks, also pointing out that the average truck driver pays around £2,000 to obtain their LGV Licence, along with a further £35 for a Digi Card to allow them to drive the truck, for a mere average wage of £6.50ph up North, I even pointed out about the CPC for drivers being introduced at yet more cost to hauliers, then of course the high price of fuel forcing some hauliers out of business, finally I pointed out about the decision to drop plans to charge foreign trucks for using our roads whilst at the same time letting the tax payer foot the bill for additional policing of the transport industry due to a higher number of foreign drivers flouting the regs.
The Reply I got
Fuel price increases are a Worldwide thing due to the price of crude Oil
CPC for Drivers equates to only 7 hrs per year which is minimal for improved road safety
Wages? Well she suggested we think ourselves lucky as it was the Labour Government who introduced the minimum wage 9 years ago
No mention of the Digi Card or foreign trucks but she did send a letter to both Gateshead & Sunderland Council asking for their opinions on the parking issues which she says she will get back to me with once she receives a reply
Well Ms Hodgson you lost my vote next time round,
The farmers will be at it soon, just had 1000l of red to last me through the harvest at 61.3ppl was 35.4ppl last year 
And before you start on the slating band wagon, something will either have to be done or we’ll all need to pay much more for our food. Either that or starve. The recent increases in the food price we have got have been swallowed up by the diesel (as above), feedstuffs (up around 50 quid a ton) and fertiliser (up double on last year and increasing for next). And if you think I’m rolling in it then the cheque books here waiting for you.
Anybody been checking the BBC News website?
The French Fishermen are at it and are talking about strikes again over the cost of fuel.
Hmmm, Must be nearly Summer!!!
Henrys cat:
The farmers will be at it soon, just had 1000l of red to last me through the harvest at 61.3ppl was 35.4ppl last yearAnd before you start on the slating band wagon, something will either have to be done or we’ll all need to pay much more for our food. Either that or starve. The recent increases in the food price we have got have been swallowed up by the diesel (as above), feedstuffs (up around 50 quid a ton) and fertiliser (up double on last year and increasing for next). And if you think I’m rolling in it then the cheque books here waiting for you.
Absolutely mate. Down here there’s inevitably at least one farm dispersal auction per week, not just old boys retiring but most of them simply aren’t making a living. Many farmers down here are saying that if they get another foot and mouth or similar crisis they’ll just pack up altogether.
Further to that, there are very few new guys coming into agriculture. Bit like truck driving; who the hell wants to work stupid hours in all weathers for the same money you get stacking shelves in Tesco. What price the minimum wage now?
Theres only one realistic answer that will not happen.
Be like the french, and all out strike.
It really is the only answer in my opinion but obviously, it will never happen.
It really needs to happen to even try and get some sort of resolution.
Darby Flyer:
Theres only one realistic answer that will not happen.Be like the french, and all out strike.
It really is the only answer in my opinion but obviously, it will never happen.
It really needs to happen to even try and get some sort of resolution.
I agree with that but it would probably only take for every single haulier to refuse to go inside of the M25 for 1 month and they’d change their tune…
I am only surprised that we have any fishermen left! I thought we had destroyed our fishing fleet so that the Spaniards could come and take all our fish stocks?