Fuel shortage?

[grober]

The headline "Francis Maude bigger than Justin Bieber on Twitter " pretty much sums up his position I think.

 

[Ullevi]

Plenty of fuel here, come to Nuneaton... Just had another delivery

Where in Nuneaton do you mean?

Must admit, I've not seen queuing in Nuneaton so far, but there was some in Bedworth on Thu (but none yesterday).

Luckily, by coincidence, I'd filled all 3 of the family wagons last week, and only done 50 miles between them all week

 

[MOCAŠ]

Perhaps public transport is the answer after all...

 

[markjay]

Just to put things on perspective... Tory ministers may indeed be rich toffs out of touch dishing out idiotic advice, but... with news of a potential fuel tankers strike, panic buying was bound to occur anyway. It's human nature, I'm afraid...

So what did the government do wrong?

Well, they did come out with the wrong advice - remember Labour's advice in 2000? Don't panic, do not panic buy, there's enough fuel for everyone (no there wasn't...). That's good old government advice which no one listens to and no one believes anyway. The Tories should have simply followed this age-old tactics of left and right governments before them, telling the public that there's nothing to worry about even though everyone knows there is. This is how the game is played, always have done. But they have gone and broken the rules - they told people what everyone already knew - which is something you never must do when in government.

The political price to pay is that the spin they (may) have hoped to give the fuel tanker drivers strike thereat, which was mobilising public opinion against Unite/Labour, backfired badly. The inevitable panic buy did occur, but the media and the public blame the government rather than the Unions. Labour 1, Tory 0 (own goal).

What should they have done then? Just sit back and relax, tell people that there's nothing to worry about, let events unfold as they watch panic buy spontaneously erupt across the country, and then reel in the rewards when they tell the stranded drivers that this is what you get if you let the Unions becomes too powerful.

 

[Bellow]

What should they have done then? Just sit back and relax, tell people that there's nothing to worry about, let events unfold as they watch panic buy spontaneously erupt across the country, and then reel in the rewards when they tell the stranded drivers that this is what you get if you let the Unions becomes too powerful.

They should have made people aware thet the earliest a strike could occur would be seven days after an announcement of one while reminding everyone that no strike has been announced.

Then they should have assured the public that they were doing everything they could to avert a strike instead of displaying the 'bring it on' attitude they did.

They should never have permitted the 'fill jerrican' advice - on safety grounds alone. Nor should they have urged motorists to top up when no industrial action was proposed.

They should be concerning themselves with getting the economy out of deadlock while ensuring levels of fairness that do not promote perceptions of material imbalance that can lead to social unrest.

What do they think they were elected to do?

 

[Bellow]

The political price to pay is that the spin they (may) have hoped to give the fuel tanker drivers strike thereat, which was mobilising public opinion against Unite/Labour, backfired badly. The inevitable panic buy did occur, but the media and the public blame the government rather than the Unions. Labour 1, Tory 0 (own goal).

Conspiracy and incompetence!!!

 

[markjay]

They should have made people aware thet the earliest a strike could occur would be seven days after an announcement of one while reminding everyone that no strike has been announced.

Then they should have assured the public that they were doing everything they could to avert a strike instead of displaying the 'bring it on' attitude they did.

They should never have permitted the 'fill jerrican' advice - on safety grounds alone. Nor should they have urged motorists to top up when no industrial action was proposed.

They should be concerning themselves with getting the economy out of deadlock while ensuring levels of fairness that do not promote perceptions of material inbalance that can lead to social unrest.

What do they think they were elected to do?

I agree with all your comments apart from the first line - in my view no government announcement could have averted the panic buy. Simple game theory - strike next week? or in two weeks? Let's fill up now before the next bloke gets to the pumps. The classic Prisoner's Dilemma... if no one panics, there will be enough to around, but can you trust the other guy not to panic? I don't think any reassuring government announcements would have made a difference. And this is exactly my point - had the government been able to prevent the panic buy, this would have been one thing... as they weren't, so they should have tried get some positive credit here, not discredit, which is why they are utter fools...

 

[Deleted member 37751]

Never has the saying " better to keep your mouth shut and let people think you're stupid, than open your mouth and confirm it" been more apt.

Along with this ill-thought pastie 'tax', they really are starting to look incompetent.

 

[Bellow]

I agree with all your comments apart from the first line - in my view no government announcement could have averted the panic buy..

We differ on this then.
Earliest strike 7 days after announcement. No announcement.
Earliest strike 7 days after announcement. Fuel as normal, and WCS panic buy if/when strike announced.
End of month - many skint.

Other than Maude and co's insistence, I don't believe the public would have behaved as they did.. Their obseqious following of government's command is a little unsettling though.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

I've just been to fill up at Esso and there wasn't a soul in sight, put £100 of diesel in and away I went.

 

[MOCAŠ]

I don't believe the public would have behaved as they did.

I'm with markjay on this.

"No strike for for at least 7 days following an announcement."

=

"No need to panic."

=

The government says don't panic. PANIC!

Their obseqious following of government's command is a little unsettling though.

Resistance is futile!

 

[markjay]

I've just been to fill up at Esso and there wasn't a soul in sight, put £100 of diesel in and away I went.

Interesting you should say that. Just drove past the local Shell garage, where they had long queues yesterday, it was deserted so I assume they must have run out and didn't bother... must go back then - probably that's what everyone is thinking!

 

[markjay]

 

[MOCAŠ]

I've just been to fill up at Esso and there wasn't a soul in sight, put £100 of diesel in and away I went.

Filled up at Shell in OBR yesterday afternoon. No queues, but curiously they had no V Power Petrol or Diesel - just the standard varierty of each. Either everyone's been panic-buying the V Power stuff or they just had less of it to start with.

 

[markjay]

Filled up at Shell in OBR yesterday afternoon. No queues, but curiously they had no V Power Petrol or Diesel - just the standard varierty of each. Either everyone's been panic-buying the V Power stuff or they just had less of it to start with.

...or perhaps the refineries are focusing on shipping-out as much standard fuels as they can, and are less concerned about the premium ones at this point of time?

 

[Deleted member 37751]

Filled up at Shell in OBR yesterday afternoon. No queues, but curiously they had no V Power Petrol or Diesel - just the standard varierty of each. Either everyone's been panic-buying the V Power stuff or they just had less of it to start with.

I would hazard a guess that ten, maybe twenty percent of diesel sold is the VPower, so there won't have been much 'in stock' I suppose.

 

[MOCAŠ]

...or perhaps the refineries are focusing on shipping-out as much standard fuels as they can, and are less concerned about the premium ones at this point of time?

If so, that's quite reassuring amongst all the accusations of profiteering. I'm sure there's a greater profit margin on V Power. As it was, I paid the least per litre than I can recall in a long time (£1.44) as I also took advantage of their 2p off per litre offer by buying a couple of choccy bars (as recommended by ***).

 

[stevieb15]

Never has the saying " better to keep your mouth shut and let people think you're stupid, than open your mouth and confirm it" been more apt.

Along with this ill-thought pastie 'tax', they really are starting to look
incompetent.

Like most professional politicians they are, equally out of touch and blighted with a belief their total lack of experience of the real world blesses them with some magical right to rule the rest of us

Out of all this the issue which causes me greatest concern is Camerons blatant lie that he had only last week eaten a pastie at Leeds station, subsequently proved impossible
Why hasn't he resigned and why isn't he being pursued to so do, its bad enough thinking our politicians are all liars without the Prime Minister being proved to be one!

 

[MOCAŠ]

Out of all this the issue which causes me greatest concern is Camerons blatant lie that he had only last week eaten a pastie at Leeds station, subsequently proved impossible
Why hasn't he resigned and why isn't he being pursued to so do, its bad enough thinking our politicians are all liars without the Prime Minister being proved to be one!

While I appreciate your comment is tongue-in-cheek, it's worth recalling what he actually said:

"I'm a pasty eater myself, I go to Cornwall on holiday. I love a hot pasty. I think the last time I bought one was from the West Cornwall Pasty Company. I seem to remember I was in Leeds station at the time. The choice was to have one of their small ones or their large ones. I've got a feeling I opted for the large one and very good it was too."

So, he didn't say it was last week, and he wasn't sure where he'd bought it or from which company. All he was trying to say was that he'd bought a pasty at some point. Futile and ill-advised, I agree, but hardly a liar. If you asked me where I'd bought my last sandwich en route, I'd also struggle to recall the precise location and retailer. Let's keep this in perspective.

 

[Bellow]

I'm with markjay on this.

"No strike for for at least 7 days following an announcement."

=

"No need to panic."

=

The government says don't panic. PANIC!



Resistance is futile!

The government may not have used the word 'panic', but they urged the behaviour associated with panic with the exhortation to top up and fill jerricans. Fill jerricans! Why didn't they go the whole hog and say stock up on tinned goods, bottled water, batteries, and masking tape for the windows and doors? Because there's no union involved in any potential nuclear strike!
The rhetoric was the same. And that poor woman (is it a sin to be insufficiently aware of the volatility of petrol?) now has 40% burns on account of government advice. People are being jailed for comments deemed merely offensive, yet a government minister's comments are responsible for an actual physical injury and he's still in his job - appalling. And still there is no sign of a strike. Maude should be sacked - if Cameron had guts - but we all know the PR spinner (I almost said spinster - but realise that makes him sound as though single, when in truth he's firmly wed to deception) urged Maude to comment - nay command - as he did. My contempt for those responsible (Cameron and Maude) cannot be expressed in words.