The campaign against the new parking tax in Westminster reached a new high last night, and the TaxPayers' Alliance was there fighting for an end to stealth taxes. 1,000 protestors were expected, but well over 4,000 showed up.
After speeches from me on behalf of the TPA, Peter Roberts of the Drivers' Alliance, Dr Leon Mannings from TransportCrucible.com, Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg of Westminster (who opposes the charges) and Warren Djanogly, Chairman of the excellent No To The Bike Parking Tax campaign who organised the protest, we headed off down Whitehall, round Parliament Square and down Victoria Street to park up outside Westminster City Hall.
It was an amazing sight, seeing 4,000 bikers riding down Whitehall honking their horns and revving their engines:
The support from passers by and the public was massive (Westminster were forced to reveal in the later committee meeting that not a single Westminster resident has supported the scheme in the recent consultation). This was people power in action - no longer can councils simply slap stealth tax after stealth tax on different groups of people in the hope that no one will notice.
I will provide a further update with more photos and a report on the Scrutiny Committee meeting at which I gave evidence later today, but for now here are some more photos of Westminster as you've never seen it before - and it was made this way by people power:
and finally...