Given that the present Government has the same powers now as the Tories had in 1984 it is hard to understand how the recent petrol blockade was possible.

Compare the way in which the miners were treated back then with the way in which the road hauliers and farmers were treated recently.

Miners were prevented from travelling outside designated areas and baton charged by police as strike-breaking lorry drivers drove at and through picket lines.

During the recent blockade, police stood idly by as lorries blocked entrances to depots and clogged up motorways.

Consider also how the oil companies instructed drivers not to cross these "picket'' lines.

That instruction never came from the National Coal Board in 1984-5 and I doubt if it ever happened in any strike in trade union history.

Despite a 100 per cent increase in profits over the last year this unholy alliance of oil bosses and road haulage companies is aimed at increasing profits and also at paving the way for a return to their favoured political representatives the Tory party.

It is this latter point that has probably attracted the farmers who, after all, are less affected by tax on fuel than anybody getting their fuel 75 per cent tax free.

The recent threat by this group of politically motivated people to block our roads and cause more chaos on top of that already being suffered due to the floods should be met with the same force normally reserved for the representatives of working people.

If the Government gives in now it will be working people who will be asked to pay extra taxes to make up the shortfall.

Tony Blair should learn the lesson that no matter what he does to ingratiate himself with big business they will never be his friends.

Since he seems to admire Margaret Thatcher so much he should put down this bosses' uprising with the same force that she used on the miners and other trade unions.

R W BANISTER

Clare Walk

Swindon