Cameron can put his moment of madness behind him by breaking UNITE's petrol strike

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The UNITE union (biggest donors to the Labour party) are threatening to hold the country to ransom ostensibly because of 'elf and safety, but really because they feel £45k isn't a good enough salary for a tanker driver.

Let's get the army driving those tankers, and break UNITE/McCluskey's bully boy tactics - the public will be foursquare behind you, Mr Cameron, and it will leave Red Ed dithering unable to answer the simple question: whose side are you on?

'Genuine question, what about mirror readers?'

Yes, he does listen to them too. But I think it is probably more important politically to listen to the people who voted for him and to keep them on side, and there are probably more of those among Mail and Sun readers.

JuliaScurr If you think I support Cameron you need your head read. I started a thread a couple of days ago calling him a prat for the frankly idiotic donations scandal.

I do, however, support the moral aim of making Britain a more conservative country, and of removing the malignant tentacles of socialism in every possible way from our society.

It's such a pity that Cameron is far too wet to share this aim. We need the likes of Maggie more than ever - a pity that the current crop of Tory politicians (with a few noble exceptions, like Michael Gove) are just so pathetic in comparison.

Whatever your politics, these people were organized although seem to think last time it was a wild cat strike?

OracleInaCoracle Hardly anyone reads the Mirror any more - and those that do are largely in Labour fiefdoms anyway. More to the point, Mirror readers rarely swing; of all the newspapers, I think the Sun has the highest percentage (and highest absolute number) of floaters.

LFN, Cameron is a politician. He is not on a mission to remove "the malignant tentacles of socialism in every possible way from our society", because that is not what the people want and that will not be popular and that will not succeed.

He is in the real world and has enough problems trying to turn the economy round without needing to alienate vast numbers of the public who are already suffering under the austerity.

The fact that the sun and mail have high readership doesn't mean they are rightwing loons everyone I know who buys those papers do so for the sport, or the gossip. Not highbrow political news.

The fact that the sun and mail have high readership doesn't mean they are rightwing loons everyone I know who buys those papers do so for the sport, or the gossip. Not highbrow political news.

I'm a Guardian reader and I am definitely not a banker, rich journo or anything like that. In fact my wage is not within sniffing distance of £45K.

I am just having difficulty believing that this strike isn't (mostly) about money - I absolutely accept that cutting corners on safety and training is not on, but it just seems to come out as an afterthought in the case being made by the unions. Don't they know that most of us have not been anywhere near a pay rise for years? As for job security - I'm in a so-called cushy public sector job, and ALL of us in our workplace are on one-year funding dependent rolling contracts. We could be out on our ear at the end of any given contract year.

Under the circumstances I'm finding sympathy just a little hard to muster.

claig I fully realise there is only so much that can be realistically done in one go. And breaking the petrol strike is more "real" and will have a more direct impact than anything else he could possibly do right now - after all, only the chattering classes really care about donation scandals - the person in the street knows "they are all at it". It is bread and butter topics where politicians win and lose - and this is about as bread and butter as they come.

claig am rolling laughing around at your description of Cameron 'being in the real world' though, that's made my day

He won't be in the real world until he's spent 3 months trying to feed and house his family on National Minimum Wage (which I think anyone wanting to be an MP should be made to do in order to qualify for election, but that's a whole other thread).

As soon as ordinary people like tanker drivers start demanding more money, right-wingers are calling for the strike-breakers to intervene.

Where are these austere folk when it comes to quantitative easing (giving banks money), bank bailouts (giving banks money) and the billions given away to the super-rich through tax evasion and avoidance each year?

'everyone I know who buys those papers do so for the sport, or the gossip. Not highbrow political news.

Oracle you are right about the Sun, but the Mail is a different animal. Mail readers do not read thinkers and heavyweights like Melanie Phillips, Peter Hitchens and Richard Littlejohn for the sport and gossip. They read them for their incisive, insightful illumination of current affairs. I just feel that needs to be said.

said it on another thread and I'll say it again- dont read the headline and make assumptions- Unite members are striking about terms and conditions and safety not pay.

The oil companies make billions but have subcontracted the delivery on short term contracts to other companies. The contracts are for a couple of years and then re tendered- any driver gets moved from one contract to another losing terms and conditions each time, and safety gets compromised as they cut costs by making the terms worse for workers and cutting timings for deliveries so safety gets compromised - do you want a driver under pressure to cut corners and cause an explosion like the had in essex a few years ago- that kind of thing can kill people!

Unite have been talking for a year but getting nowhere and its a last ditch attempt by desparate workers to get some movement from wealthy companies who care little for their workers or safety in the communities

'Where are these austere folk when it comes to quantitative easing (giving banks money), bank bailouts (giving banks money) and the billions given away to the super-rich through tax evasion and avoidance each year?'

Please read the Daily Mail. They are against all that.

Well said, yehudiwho.

oh and whilst I have no idea of an acerage salary of a driver I for one am more than happy for people doing dangerous and tiring jobs to earn a decent salary. perhaps the op would like them to be on the minimum wage as they drive a cylinder full of highly flammable liquid on the same roads we are on with our children. Only highly important management consultants should have that much money not working classes

Claig, you are right. I only know one family who buy the mail though, on a saturday for the tv mag in fact, its my PILs, and I laugh with them at it, we play DM bingo.

Claig, you are right. I only know one family who buy the mail though, on a saturday for the tv mag in fact, its my PILs, and I laugh with them at it, we play DM bingo.

They sound like very wise people - the TV mag is outstanding. But if they wish to discover the truth about what is happening in our world, they really must begin buying it on a daily basis. The time for laughing is over, now is the time to be informed.

Nah, they are staunch labour supporters. Not the champagne socialists that some posters think we are, but proper union supporting, hard working people who believe in society and equality.

I have no beef with tories, I just don't share their political views.

Nah, they are staunch labour supporters. Not the champagne socialists that some posters think we are, but proper union supporting, hard working people who believe in society and equality.

I have no beef with tories, I just don't share their political views.

marking place

Oh thanks OP. You are vair, vair funny.

"Mirror readers rarely swing"

Indeed they're the most 'vanilla' in terms of their sexual interests according to the latest polls.

Also, Labour isn't run by an evil octopus, so less of the malignant tentacles thanks.

I do, however, support the moral aim of making Britain a more conservative country, and of removing the malignant tentacles of socialism in every possible way from our society Nearly fell off my chair What exactly are the malignant tentacles?

LFN if you're so keen on conservativism you'd better get your dancing shoes out because when you look into it, you'll either be shooting the wildlife or joining us peasants dancing round the maypole. Which is it?

I don't believe that the public are so stupid to just be won over by decisive action or what they read in news papers. Do you think everyone on MN is the chattering classes and anyone who reads the mail has no brain? If you do, you are no better than the Torry party who show utter contempt towards the entire electorate including their own voters. At least the union has taken a ballot of it's members.

I'm in favour, it seems that the tanker drivers are concerned over safety and working conditions, just as they have every right to be.