INTIMIDATED into silence by the hyped-up media, those of us who did not support the blockades can now speak.

This was not Tony Blair's fault. Had it been, we would not have seen identical protests all across Europe.

There are two powerful bodies who made the British situation worse and who saw it in their own interests to blame the Government. One must question the oil companies who did nothing to prevent the protests and everything to encourage them.

The companies make £35 billion profit globally which is shared between a few rich men. The British Government in contrast takes an amount in taxation and uses it for the benefit of many.

None of us enjoys paying taxes, but because we do not want to pay an increase in income tax, consecutive Governments have had to find alternative means to raise the necessary revenue.

It was John Major who identified petrol as a taxable commodity and rightly so. Petrol is a finite resource and must be protected -- we have all seen the consequences of what will happen when it runs out.

Secondly, this has been a well orchestrated protest. Wealthy landowners eager to destabilise the Government over fox hunting and other issues and spurred on by the weakness of the French Government have paid for their workers to go out and cause chaos on the street. I haven't been fooled.

KENNETH G WALTON, The Coppice, Clayton-le-Moors.