UK News 19-09-2000 Gordon Brown Rejects 60-Day Fuel Tax Deadline who: Gordon Brown what: Rejects fuel protestors` deadline for tax cuts where: LONDON when: Yesterday snippet: "Gordon Brown last night rejected the 60-day deadline set by protesters for measures to meet their grievances," says The Times today. "The Chancellor of the Exchequer... signalled that he would use the petrol row to launch a national debate over taxation and spending." "We are not going to make decisions on the basis of deadlines such as this," says Mr Brown in an interview with The Times. "We have a process that works - the Pre-Budget Report and then the Budget." Yesterday, ministers met with the heads of major oil companies, who pledged to work with the government to prevent further blockades over prices. "Ministers backed off from direct confrontation with the companies and unions," says The Express. Jack Straw`s new fuel task force was expected to announce emergency legislation to put "oil companies under the same legal obligation as the privatised utilities to keep their product flowing". But no action has yet been taken. "The oil companies said that they had been taken by surprise by the effectiveness of last week`s blockades," says Andy McSmith, Chief Political Correspondent in The Telegraph. "They suggested setting up three working parties to look at specific problems arising from the protests. The working parties will meet today." [... more]

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