Blair's spin on the Eddington report
Posted by Freethinker on Tuesday, 27 February 2007 13:14:17
Dear David,
It is a fairly safe bet that not one of the UKs 34 million motorists will vote for any party that is dreaming of introducing the road charging Cash Cow, and as the road charging Westminster Anti-Car Mafia is known to be made up of New Labour / Lib Dem loonys, it would seem that the way is clear for a Conservative victory in England at least, come the next general election. Now while I can't judge public opinion in Wales, I can however, give an indication of the growing groundswell of opinion here in Scotland. As a former member of Edinburgh Pentlands Conservatives I would have liked to see a return of the Conservatives to power here in Scotland. Sadly, in spite of Scottish Conservative MSP leader David McLetchie's efforts to assure Scottish motorists that he and the Scottish Conservatives are set against any form of road charging, the growing opinion amongst Scottish motorists is that they are NOT PREPARED to take the chance that should there be a change of government in England, the new government would not try to introduce a re-hash of the current proposals on a national basis that would force this nonsense on Scottish motorists. As a protection against just such a disaster, every Scottish motorist I speak to informs me that it is their firm intention to vote SNP as that is seen as the only way to ensure that Blair's Westminster Mafia laws are not forced on Scotland.
Blair obviously thinks that England is a Nation of gullible idiots who can't see through his waffle,
his damage limitation e-mail sent out to the 1.8 million who signed the "petition" proves beyond any doubt that his road charging proposals are only a Cash Cow, and his attempt to argue otherwise fools nobody.
"I know many people's biggest worry about road pricing is that it will be a ‘stealth tax' on motorists," said Blair. "It won't - road pricing is about tackling
congestion."
But guidance issued by the Department for Transport makes it clear that there will be no reduction in motoring taxes as new charges are rolled out across huge areas, including the West Midlands, Greater Manchester, Bristol and Newcastle upon Tyne. Motorists will have to pay these charges ON TOP of their road tax and the exorbitant duty on road fuel !
local authorities are being "bribed" by the Government to impose road charging schemes. Manchester, for example, was warned it would not get funding to extend its tram system unless it did so.
Government has already provided funding to develop schemes covering Greater Manchester, the West Midlands, Bristol, Leicester, Derby, Nottingham, Tyne and Wear, Durham, Reading, Shrewsbury, Norwich and Cambridgeshire.
So much for Blair's "consultation" a perfect example of Labour democracy in action, Blair will "consult" till you see it his way, and if you don't he'll just go ahead anyway !
It is MOST INTERESTING to observe that the government's own Eddington report DOES NOT recommend the introduction of road charging on a nationwide basis.The Eddington Transport Study
The case for action:
Sir Rod Eddington's
advice to Government.
9 Because the UK is already well connected, the key economic challenge is therefore to improve the performance of the existing network. But there is little strategic case for action in all places. To meet its economic goals for transport, Government should prioritise action on those parts of the system where networks are critical in supporting economic growth, and thereare clear signals that these networks are not performing.
10 On this basis, the strategic economic priorities for long-term transport policy should be growing and congested urban areas and their catchments; and the key inter-urban corridors and the key international gateways that are showing signs of increasing congestion and unreliability. Government should focus on these areas because they are heavily used, of growing economic importance, and showing signs of congestion and unreliability - and these problems are set to get significantly worse. They are the places where transport constraints have significant potential to hold back economic growth.
12 The economic case for targeted new infrastructure is strong and offers very high returns - the best schemes offer returns in the region of £5-10 for each pound invested. Government should therefore continue to deliver, together with the private sector, sustained transport investment. There are good returns across the priority areas, but smaller projects which unblock pinch-points, variable infrastructure schemes to support public transport in urban areas and international gateway surface access projects are likely to offer the very highest returns, sometimes higher than £10 for every pound spent.
However, large projects with speculative benefits and relying on untested technology, are unlikely to generate attractive returns. 17 It should be noted that in Scotland and Wales (and Northern Ireland when devolution is restored) it is for the devolved administrations to decide policies in devolved areas. Therefore the recommendations in this report do not apply to devolved areas of responsibility.
1,"But there is little strategic case for action in all places" 2, " large projects with speculative benefits and relying on untested technology, are unlikely to generate attractive returns." 3, "the recommendations in this report do not apply to devolved areas of responsibility."
JUST WHAT PART OF THOSE SENTENCES IS BLAIR HAVING DIFICULTY IN UNDERSTANDING ?
So come on David, before the elections, the public needs to know what you think about road charging, and do you agree that it could lead to losses of jobs, not least in the motor industry,
as if people are forced off the roads as some politicians have said this scheme intends, surely no company will inward invest in car plants in a country where motorists are discouraged from driving,
and where people who don't even drive will still have to pay this rediculous extortion. (when white van man comes to fix your washing machine who do you think will pay his road charges ?)
Freethinker, Edinburgh.
Environment, Politics