Blair's response to the road pricing petition, translated.
It has been widely reported that Tony Blair is going to personally email all of the people who signed the road pricing petition, hoping to change their minds.
In an interview in today's Observer, Blair has said how he will use the email to try and set out his stall for road pricing, and show that he is prepared to engage in debate over the subject.
However, as we are so used to him spinning his way through policy making, I thought I'd help by translating it for him back into human.
"The million-strong e-petition against road pricing on the No 10 website is an opportunity, not because I share the petitioners' views - I don't - but because I know the country needs to have a full debate on how we tackle road congestion and this petition has helped spark it."
Translation: We've made a right balls up setting this petition site up, and now have to make it look like we listen.
"We have to remember that No 10's new e-petition service has not generated the views against road pricing that have been expressed by more than a million people. They were already there and it's not possible, wise or healthy for politicians to try and sweep them under the carpet.
Translation: We knew all along that you would hate it, but were hoping never to be pulled up on it, until after it was implented.
"For what's clear is the challenges we face are more complex than ever and that there are simply no easy answers -"
Translation: We will bring in road pricing whether you like it or not.
" - whether, for example, it's how we tackle climate change, provide affordable and sustainable pensions or secure future energy supplies"
Translation: We have to pay for out policy fuck-ups somehow.
"I also strongly believe that the more people understand the nature and scale of the problems, the more likely we will as a country reach the right decisions on the way forward."
Translation: Shut up moaning, do as you're told, and accept that this will come in.
"Over the next few days, I will be sending out a response to everyone who has signed the petition against road charging, explaining the problems the country faces and why I believe road charging is surely part of the answer here as it is in many other countries."
Translation: I'm only sending out this email to pretend to listen to your concerns, all you will actually receive in the email is my policy spiel to try and brain wash into accepting it.
"I'm not kidding myself that this will change people's views overnight."
Translation: I can see you're all pissed off, but I don't care.
"I am convinced, however, that the focus on this issue that the e-petition has brought about will help improve our understanding of the problems and the realisation that there are no cost-free answers."
Translation: You will end up paying, as we have run out of, or can't be bothered thinking up, any new ideas.
"And that surely has got to be good news for the health of our democracy and for the chances of our country coming up with the right and sustainable solutions to the long-term challenges we face."
Translation: By pretending to listen I look good, but my way is right, and you are all wrong.
2 comments:
Guess Blair won't be on anybody's xmas list ,I bet he will be on their voting form ,I doubt it will have an x against it, at the next election ,I think any political party better think twice on this ,and come up with idea's how to remove it ,if it gets implimented.
I'd just like to add that alot of people are missing the point of road pricing. The need to cut congestion is not the real issue, or at least the reason why the government wants to introduce it.
The government is pushing the car industry and its customers (us) hard in the direction of low emmissions high mpg (miles per gallon) cars. In a matter of 10-20 years most of us will be driving either highly efficent, low fuel consumption, combustion engined cars; or hybrids/electric cars. This will mean a massive decrease in the demand for fuel, which is a major source of tax income for the government.
This will mean less money for public spending, which under the Labour government will make them look bad. They know they cant just increase road tax in the obvious way because people wont like that, they may loose support. So the issue of congestion is a neat way of increaseing the tax we pay with out an obvious tax increase.
The simple fact is everyone will pay more for transport if this goes ahead. Even the supporters who dont drive will have to pay extra, throught their taxi fairs. And do you think the train/bus companies wont see the opportunity and increse prices, when they realise people are increasingly turning to the trains/busses?
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