He called on the chancellor to use next week's budget to cut the carbon price floor, a tax on fossil fuels he said would cost British power customers £3bn a year between now and 2020.
Although stating at the time "I love grands prix," Branson, though, insisted the sport needed to be "more cost effective" and with cars "run on clean fuels" before he would consider becoming involved.
Vice President Al Gore called today for more federal spending on light rail transportation systems and on buses that use cleaner fuels, saying he would devote $25 billion over 10 years to improving mass transportation in states and cities, reducing air pollution and liberating Americans from too heavy a dependence on oil.
Because the trucker's earnings from the hauling job were only enough to cover his costs at the subsidized fuel price, he would be $1,000 better off with the tax cut alone than with the fuel subsidy.
But his car was light on fuel and he would be the first to make a pit stop, after only 12 laps.
There's the question of precedent: if Mr. Blair had given in to the protest on fuel prices, he would in effect have signaled every other interest group with a plausible grievance that disruptive protests were an effective political tool.
By switching to synthetic fuels, he said, the country would have the opportunity to reduce those emissions, even if it they would not be completely eliminated.
But his 4.6 percent victory margin had fueled speculation that he would slash his customary bonuses.
He retained his post as mayor of London, and the victory fueled speculation that he would eventually challenge Prime Minister David Cameron for leadership of the Conservative Party.
Armstrong won Ironman events in Hawaii and Florida this year, fueling speculation that he would compete in the Ironman World Championship event being held this weekend in Kona, Hawaii.
