UK News 15-09-2000 Blair`s Deadline To Cut Fuel Tax who: Tony Blair what: Agrees to meet with fuel price protestors where: Downing Street, LONDON when: Yesterday snippet: "Tony Blair has just 60 days to slash fuel taxes - or face a new revolt," says The Sun today. "Leaders of the petrol protest, backed by 91 per cent in a BBC Radio 2 poll, set the deadline after winding down their action." "The day`s dramatic events began when protest organiser Brynle Williams, a North Wales farmer, announced at 5.30am that the blockade of Stanlow in Cheshire was over," says The Express. "Other pickets began to follow Stanlow`s example, to the sounds of horns blaring in victory. At noon Mr Blair held his third crisis press conference in three days". Mr Blair offered to have talks with protestors but insisted yesterday that "actual receipts by the Treasury are ... not enough to fund a significant fraction of a 1p cut in duty". Meanwhile, oil companies were planning to add 2p to the price of a litre of unleaded petrol and 4p on diesel but backed down within hours following a crisis meeting at Downing Street in which, says The Times, "Tony Blair denounced the price rise as insensitive and incomprehensible". Despite yesterday`s turn of events, "the misery goes on" reports The Independent. "Last night, just 300 petrol stations were back on line and no more than 20 per cent of Britain`s total of 12,500 were expected to be operating by tomorrow night". [... more]

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