How people power backfired on Blair's spin machine

By RAY MASSEY, Transport editor

Last updated at 17:36 14 February 2007


The protest against Tony Blair's flagship road pricing policy has spread like a virus. A computer

virus.

Since 46-year-old Peter Roberts posted his 'people's petition' on the Downing Street website call-ing for the 'sinister' policy to be scrapped, more than 1.2million have taken the

trouble to sign up in agreement.

Mr Roberts, a sales director from Telford in Shropshire, admits he has been 'absolutely amazed' by the response to his petition, which clearly hit a raw nerve among the public.

At first the response ticked along.

Then the Association of British Drivers, a grass-roots motoring group of about 2,000 members which has already rattled ministers – and forced the Government to paint speed cameras yellow – got behind the petition and started publicising it.

A series of round robin e-mails - mutating as they were sent – led to tens of thousands more signatures.

Some media coverage after Christmas gave the campaign another shove. Some have suggested a slick, professional campaign by sinister forces.

But the ABD say it is nothing more than angry Middle Britain acting when it's simply had enough.

Mr Roberts is married to Angela, 44, with two children Adam, 18, and Leanne, 16, and lives in a four-bedroom detached home. He drives a

low-emissions diesel Peugeot 307.

"I am a very unlikely revolutionary," he admits.

"But a teacher at school always told me to stand up for what I believed in. I've always tried to live by that advice. I've got a strong belief in what's right and what's wrong. And this is wrong.

"It is the poor who rely on their cars who cars who will be hit by this policy. People see through the Government spin. That's why a million and more have signed up to the petition.

"It would be a shame if the Government had to

resort to underhand tactics to smear this campaign.

If they want a proper debate, let's have one. But don't let it descend into a slanging match."

Nigel Humphries of the ABD said: "There is an exquisite irony in the fact that the Government has created this petition forum on the Number 10

website. They can't spin us any more.

"This is real people power. This is what

people really think. They think it's just

another Government tax-grabbing scam like all the others.

"The fact that their website keeps crashing from all the traffic says it all."

The petition reads: "We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to scrap the planned vehicle tracking and road pricing policy."

It adds: "The idea of tracking every vehicle at all times is sinister and wrong. Road pricing is already here with the high level of taxation on fuel.

"The more you travel – the more tax you pay.

"It will be an unfair tax on those who live apart from families and poorer people who will not be able to afford the high monthly costs.

Please Mr Blair – forget about road pricing and

concentrate on improving our roads to reduce congestion."

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