In September 2000, traffic in Worcester ground to a halt when protests were made against the ever-rising price of fuel and petrol depots were blockaded, grounding tankers and ensuring that no fuel got out to the countries service stations. Within days the country ran dry of fuel, leaving only enough fuel for emergency and essential vehicles. Queues of cars formed at the city's petrol stations in Worcester as they did at petrol stations all over the country when the fuel finally began to get through.
Lisa Ventura-Whiting kept a detailed journal of the crisis and the events as they happened, which is detailed below:
Wednesday 13th September 2000 - 1.57pm
Many of you will have already heard about the shortage of petrol in the UK over the last few days. Well, things have now reached crisis point. This is how it all started, and my feelings about the whole thing.
The government put the price up petrol up by another 2p per litre last week, meaning that we Britons are now paying a minimum of 81.9p per litre. Not per gallon, per litre. According to the government, this price increase is because the price of oil has gone up to $40 per barrel. Protests had been going on in France over the Bank Holiday weekend in August, which ground some parts of the country to a halt.
Following this announcement, farmers and haulage workers began to stage protests and blockades around petrol distribution ports around Britain, effectively stopping any tankers from being able to make deliveries to most garages.
By Sunday night (10th September), some petrol stations in the UK were beginning to run dry of fuel.
By Monday morning (11th September), some petrol stations here in Worcester began to run dry.
I had three-quarters of a tank of fuel in my Volvo, and was at home on Monday morning quite happily working away on some writing projects. I didn't have the news on, and didn't know much about what was going on at that point. I knew about the protests, but that was about it.
Then at 10.15am my mobile rang and everything changed. It was Gary.
"How are you for petrol?" he asked.
"Petrol?" I replied. "Okay, I guess"
"Well if I were you," he continued, "I suggest you get to the Jet garage and fill up. Everywhere in Worcester is running dry"
I took his advice and went straight there. As I arrived, the staff were barricading up all the entrances to the garage. They had obviously run dry of fuel.
My mobile rang again, this time it was David.
"Have you heard the news?" he said.
"Yeah, Gary has just told me"
Silence.
"David?"
"Yeah, I'm still here. Listen, I've just managed to fill up at Tesco's. There's a huge queue, but I'm sure you'll get some fuel"
So I made my way up to Tesco's and queued up for over an hour and a half, but I did manage to fill my car up to the brim with fuel.
I put the news on and listened. The protesters at the fuel distribution depots were protesting peacefully and not breaking the law, meaning that the police or the government were powerless to stop them.
By last night (12th September), only a handful of garages in the UK had any fuel of any kind left.
I watched Tony Blair give a speech at No 10 Downing Street at 5.50pm last night. He said that it is not government policy to give in to the demands of these protesters, and that making their point was one thing, bringing the country to a standstill was quite another. He said that following meetings with oil company chiefs, he had put "emergency measures" in place, and that the tankers would start delivering petrol and that everything would be well on the way to getting back to "normal" in 24 hours time. Well, in almost four hours time it will be 24 hours since he gave that speech, and I've yet to see how he's going to keep that promise.
Basically, he and Gordon Brown, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, are digging their heels in and are not listening to the people of Britain as a whole. 97% of people are behind these protests, but Blair won't negotiate. He has put himself into a "black or white" situation; he is refusing to see anything in between.
This morning, some of the tankers did actually leave some of the fuel distribution depots, particularly at Ellesmere Port, but the tanker drivers actually joined the protests by leaving the depot and refusing to fill up with fuel!
And now, as at 2.30pm this afternoon, some tankers are beginning to get through, but only a few.
My thoughts and opinions about this whole thing?
I'm with the protesters 100% of the way. For far too long here in the UK we have been paying over the odds in fuel prices. When I passed my driving test back in 1992, a litre of unleaded petrol cost 47.9p per litre. Now it costs 81.9p per litre. I can see exactly what the protesters are saying - if the prices go up anymore the haulage companies and the farmers will go bankrupt because they can't afford to keep paying these extortionate petrol prices. Something has to be done about it. We are paying 77% tax in every litre of petrol that we buy to the government and are being ripped off beyond belief.
Personally speaking, the fuel crisis doesn't particularly affect me as an individual. I still have a full tank of fuel and I am lucky enough to live very close to work. I haven't got the freedom at the moment to think to myself, "I fancy popping over to see Mum and Dad" or "I fancy popping into town", because I dare not use the petrol. At the moment, I am literally going to work and back - and that's it.
But the knock-on effect from this fuel shortage has been catastrophic. Hospitals have been forced to cancel operations and vital surgery. Midwives, doctors and meals on wheels have been unable to make their calls. Many small businesses are at risk of going bankrupt. Panic buying in the supermarkets has started and it is difficult to get hold of bread, milk and other perishable goods.
People all over the country have been unable to get to work or get their children into school. Schools up and down the country have had to close. Shops and businesses have been forced to close. It is predicted that the country will grind to a complete halt if petrol doesn't get through by the end of the week.
Tony Blair has completely lost the plot. When I voted for him in the general election in 1997, I was so sure that he was going to be the saviour of Britain. But now - well, I will remember this, and I won't be voting Labour in the next general election!
Lucinda cancelled a meeting that we were going to have tonight about our latest script idea because she is trying to conserve fuel - she's going to bike over on Saturday morning instead! Nina's okay, she can walk to work. It's inconvenient, she says, but she's managing. My parents are all right for now - Dad had the foresight to fill up both of their cars on Sunday night, and they have limited themselves to getting to work and back only.
And it's funny, because at aerobics last night, the petrol crisis was all everyone was talking about. Normally, I might say hi to a few of the people, but that was about it. But I think that it takes a crisis of this nature to bring people together and get them talking, because everyone seemed to want to get this off their chests. Everyone has an opinion about it and everyone wants to have their say.
But I've yet to find someone who actually disagrees with the protests.
I've watched Sky News non-stop to get the latest updates on the situation. I even missed Star Trek on Monday night to see what was going on!
As I write this, fuel supplies are starting to trickle through very slowly, but most garages that are having a delivery are saying that they are for emergency services only, and not for Joe public. It could be a few days before I can get any more fuel, and I'll definitely be grounded at home all over the weekend.
From a purely selfish point of view, I can't wait until everything gets back to normal. I hate not having the freedom to get in my car and go where I like. Now it appears that thanks to the protesters, the choice is being made for me and I have to think about every journey I have to make in my car. However, I am more than willing to suffer the inconvenience if the end result is that we get our petrol prices lowered once and for all. I'll say it again - I'm with the protesters 100%. They are national heroes in my opinion, people who have had the courage to stand up to the government and say, "We're being ripped off and we're not going to take it anymore!" Good for them!
My only wish is that I could be out there protesting with them.
Update - 7.00pm
The streets are eerily free of cars. It's so strange - it took me no time at all to get home from work.
Tony Blair has made a further prat of himself by admitting that he was wrong to say that the country would be back to normal within 24 hours. He also maintained that he wouldn't give in under any circumstances to the protestors and said that the time for making budget changes is at the time of the budget in November. The protestors are still showing no sign of moving at all.
But the police have now been instructed to arrest any protestors that start disturbing the peace. So far the protests have been peaceful, but I don't think that that will last long. William Hague, the leader of the Conservative party, wants a recall of Parliament and the protestors have voted to stay put.
So on it goes…..
Friday 15th September 2000 - 12.00pm
Things are finally beginning to move with the petrol situation - thank god!
At 5.00am yesterday morning, the protesters at Ellesmere Port decided to end their protest and dissipate the blockade. Other soon followed suit in Avonmouth, Kingsbury, and by the end of the day only one petrol distribution centre was still protesting, and that was up in Scotland. The protestors have given Tony Blair 60 days to do something about the petrol prices, which means that he will have a chance to do something in the pre-budget statement in November.
Fuel started to go out but very slowly, and for the emergency services only. The Jet garage had a delivery at 1.00pm yesterday afternoon, but that was for the emergency services and the petrol was not sold to members of the public.
Then Esso and Total, Fina and Elf announced that they were putting the price of petrol up by 2p a litre, so some of the protesters turned around and went back! Tony Blair spent the afternoon with the Chief Executives of these petrol companies, and then they reversed their decision.
I still have a full tank of fuel but despite that, Gary and I walked to aerobics last night and walked back again. Surprisingly, it was packed last night. I thought that the crisis would keep some people away, but I was wrong.
Gary went to three different supermarkets yesterday to get me some bread and milk. I don't know what I would have done without him. Nina has been on the phone constantly with updates on her petrol situation, as has Lucinda. She is still going to bike over tomorrow morning for our meeting. "I'm not missing it again," she said.
This morning David rang me to say that the Jet garage was actually selling fuel to the public, but there were long queues of cars
So unless there are any further significant developments about this fuel crisis, I'm signing off again from this journal until October.
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