UPDATE (Monday) – I’ve had a few calls. If people want a public meeting to decide the next course of action, fine. I’m up for it. We cannot do without fuel but we can, for example, stop buying confectionery, groceries, alcohol, etc., from filling station operators who are in bed with Scottish Fuels.

We can organise regular protest lines near them. We can also exercise our right to peaceful protest with frequent demonstrations at certain depots, if we decide that is the way to go. Ordinary members of staff must not be targeted. Senior management, of course, who dance to the tune of evil Irish crooks, are all fair game.

Let me say one thing – I would welcome elected representatives to be involved on condition they don’t use it as a platform to berate other parties and politicians. All recent governments have promised action but failed to stop us being ripped off. Everywhere I go, people say enough is enough and that it’s time for direct action since learning that Scottish Fuels are just unscrupulous crooks.

We must focus on an agreed outcome and strive for that – not on tiresome political mud-slinging. Otherwise, I’m out.

Well done to Brian Wilson for exposing the crooks behind Scottish Fuels in the West Highland Free Press. See here.

The former energy minister also made those claims to me live on a radio programme more than a week ago and I know that certain local listeners were utterly gobsmacked to hear about the company bosses of DCC, as they are properly known – as well as all their other names like Scottish Fuels, GB Oils Ltd, boilerjuice.com and the 41 other trading names they use, and their crooked dealings.  Good on Brian for putting it in print too.

The heat is on

I offered a radio slot to Scottish Fuels/DCC bosses since then too but they decided that answering difficult questions about their past illegal practises and alleged current racketeering on fuel prices was the last thing they wanted to do. However, it’s truly excellent journalism by Brian and the Free Press which certain other supposedly truth-seeking publications should have spent time on too instead of regurgitating the sickening guff and flannel that the dodgy Irish oil barons pumped out knowing that weak, lazy, ineffectual editors would run it unquestioningly.  We hope these publications weren’t pressured not to investigate by the Free Church stalwarts who work for them and the ones who are also on the Irish crooks’ payroll. That would be just awful.

It is no accident that that the cheapest petrol and diesel in the islands is from the one retailer at Barvas who has steadfastly refused to deal with the Irish crooks – unlike the other cowardly retailers elsewhere on the islands – some of whom have this week been trying to defend the crooks whose over-priced fuel they peddle. I have heard horrific tales of dirty tricks against the Welcome Inn in Barvas by Scottish Fuels minions. They really want to get rid of Mr Derek Macleod. Of course, they do. If they get rid of him then Scottish Fuels will have complete control of our fuel supplies and can charge whatever they like.

DCC were fined tens of thousands of pounds for 17 counts of overcharging in Wales. The local councils tore into them. The comhairle here of course is appalling – doing nothing, as usual. They should be leading the fightback. There is a rumour going round that a Scottish Fuels infiltrator is embedded in the comhairle at a high level to ensure they stay paralysed.  As I say, it’s just a rumour. It would be just too ridiculous to contemplate, so it’s probably not true.

It is extraordinary that our supposedly-honest fuel retailers – some of whom openly told me and other journalists how ghastly Scottish Fuels were just a few years ago – then caved in and signed new long contracts with them. Apparently, they were offered “incentives” like Christmas cases of booze, new pumps and, in the case of at least one remarkable alleged bribe, secret foreign holidays with an open tab, whatever that means.  One of the retailers told me face-to-face in a workshop in the industrial area of the town that he had been “threatened”. Now he is smugly on board with Scottish Fuels. Wonder what that sweetener was?

Finally, we have official confirmation of the type of company DCC really is and what hoodlums their people are – from insider trading, conning banana companies and their shareholders out of 41 million euros, setting up fake price comparison websites like boilerjuice.com that always led unwitting users back to DCC companies and products and, well, God only knows what else.