A FUEL protestor who once brought the country to a standstill is working on a new plan for direct action to tackle skyrocketing petrol and diesel prices.
County Durham farmer Andrew Spence said he and fellow demonstrators were waiting to see if Chancellor Rishi Sunak would offer some respite to motorists and haulage firms next week.
The North Yorkshire MP is due to make his spring budget on Wednesday and there are hopes there will be a cut in fuel excise duty.
On Wednesday, the RAC website showed average petrol prices are now £1.65 a litre while the same amount of diesel in costing £1.77.
Mr Spence, from Leadgate, said: “It is going to be a national co-ordination. I don’t want to say who we are going to target.
“We are going to wait and see what Rishi says.
“If he does something with fuel duty it will certainly alleviate the situation.
“You have got to look at the prices at the minute. Somebody is profiteering off the back of the British motorists.”
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In November, Mr Spence organised a 5mph ‘go slow’ protest of lorries up the A1(M) and through Newcastle as diesel topped £1.50 a litre.
The 54-year-old grandfather organised Fuel Lobby protesters at the Shell UK plant in Jarrow in both 2000 and 2005, and has previously ground Newcastle to a halt with a seven mile convoy.
During the fuel protests of 2000 there were rolling roadblocks on motorways as farmers and hauliers around the country unified and mobilised to show their anger.
Mr Spence said he had recently been talking to a ‘senior MP’ who told him there could be a reduction in fuel duty as well as a windfall tax on fuel companies in the spring budget.
Mr Spence said: “It would alleviate the situation but it does not go ahead we have already go plans afoot.
“It is something a bit different.”
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