Your Comments

There's certainly no way we should be subsidising car users by reducing duties when there are much greater priorities for spending.

we will never get anywhere with these protests with comments like typical of this government. Did the last ,ie Tory Government cut fuel duties no of course they ddnt.
We need to learn that all polititcians are the same venal power hungry scum whether they are Blair or Thatcher or their acolytes and continually call them to account.
How do we do this? Well much as we deride them, our neighbours across the channel know how to let their politicians know when they have gone too far.
Fuel Tax in UK is ridiculously high and if all the people who posted here decided to join truckers on blocking the M25 or Central London for a day the Political underclass would listen but untl then.....

How short-sighted this is: Until public transport is affordable & practicable for all there will be a need for private transport and we aren't all earning high salaries.
Some Local Authorities haven't raised their mileage rates for employees who use their own cars in the course of their work for 15 years!
increased fuel costs will add to the cost of goods & services.
So besides being unfair it will add to inflation just at a time when the number of unemployed is sky-rocketing & pension funds have been hit.
One despairs at the Govt's lack of a holistic plan -- there are just a series of knee-jerk reactions

Never mind the fuel tax,get to grips with tax in general.If all the tax loopholes were closed to the "top earners" and they paid a fair share to the country we could all have cheap fuel,better NHS and better schools etc.

I can't believe some of the comments on this forum.

Do none of you read the newspapers or watch TV news?

Are you completely oblivious to the fact that the world is facing the biggest economic meltdown ever?

Are you completely ignorant of the fact that climate change is threatening the future of the planet - due to the excessive consumption of fossil fuels?

Brown and Darling are doing a good job in extremely hostile circumstances. We need to give them support and tell that pair of juvenile idiots on the Tory front bench to grow up.

Ostriches all.

i agree it is about time we stood up for ourselves but you know what it aint gonna happen because we are a very weak nation great britain my arm what is great about us nothing we are weak weak weak and the government know it that is why they keep banging tax on us tax on fuel,food,earnings,council tax what next air tax why dont we stand up for ourselves and say NO we have had enough every pound we earn is taxed so much it is worth a fraction of what you think it is i like the idea of blocking the capital in silent protest or if not that anything that will get them to say hang on we have gone too far here whatever that may be.

Re: John Creer, post 66.

Where are you living? Fuel hasn't drooped by 30p / litre where I live, here in Peterborough. Let me know so I can travel there to fuel up. At your prices I can afford to.

Who voted this shower in in the first place? We kept being told what a great chancellor Gordon Brown was - now at last he has been found out. He has taxed us up to the hilt and left the ountry in massive debt. And what is the way out? To tax us all and once again HIT the motorist as they are such an easy target. Make sure these money grabbing "highway robbers" are shown the door in the next election. My God we should have learned now! Our children's future is so uncertain.

This comment has been removed as it was found to be in breach of our Blog Policies.

Has anyone estimated how many thousands of litres of fuel are wasted by waiting at traffic lights that are hopeless phased. There are hundreds that change to green for only a few seconds in order that traffic, which does not exist, can cross the other way. If, miraculously, one or two vehicles do cross the other way, the lights we are stuck at change to green and only allow two or three to cross before changing back to red to give us another long and wasteful wait! This must be a huge cumulative cost to motorists, who, while money is pouring out of their pockets, are also emitting vast amounts of carbon pouring out of their exhaust pipes. Why isn't an urgent survey being carried out to deal with this blatant example of traffic mismanagement? The Chancellor must be rubbing his hands with glee while watching his mounting tax take going up in exhaust fumes!

Labour showing their true colours yet again. Just when fuel prices seemed to be coming down, they head back up again. Like with most mortgages we have not seen the low interest rates past on to the poor public that need it, as the banks hold on to the cash, there is little chance that any of use will see costs fall with the change in VAT. As most companies will delight in not having to pay so much VAT, you can bet that they will not lower costs to reflect this. So the fuel costs will remain the same, and go up by 2p.......Happy Days :-(((( Companies should be able to keep you in work with the VAT cuts giving them more money to keep going, but you still can not afford to travel to work, eat or pay the mortgage, there is truly something wrong with this picture.

I am a Domestic Energy Assessor, I have already been "Duped" by the Govet to retrain to meet a demand for about 2500 energy assessors at a cost of over £3000. They allowed Training Providers to keep churning out energy assessors without any control on the numbers and now there are over 12,000 of us all competing for the same very few jobs.

I have to travel stupid distances to make a meagre amount of money so now this is again to be eroded by the increase of this fuel tax

Gordon Brown has always used the word PRUDENT - it difficult to understand?

His War Chest has been blown apart so he has to start filling in again - thats us folks!!! 2.5% off VAT would not make me buy a new car or a TV.
Just a big 'con' all the way ..

Anyboby remember what we paid for fuel when Oil last cost $49 a barrel AND what the Tax elements were?

If Labour had a brain they would be dangerous....the country is in credit turmoil and what do they offer a cut in VAT to make us spend...Hello we need money in our pockets first before we can spend it!!! Once again Labour strike give a little in one hand and took back double if not more.

The TAX on petrol and VAT were not broken before the reccession so why change them!!!!! It will make no difference to the economy and will in time drive more money into the government. Finally were is the viable allternative to the common oil fueled car that all this money we are paying in tax should be going to so that we can all buy environmentally friendly cars to save the plant in the future, surely that would be the caring solution for everyone's environment and pocket

Just one more rip off to the stupid brits again

Buses or public transport?
Non existant in rural communities for when they need transportation for certain times!!
Employers can't always work to the bus timetables!!
This rise in petrol like all the others hits those who have no alterative but to use (and share with others where appropiate) private transportation.

As Fuel is taxed twice I think he should scrap fuel duty and gain the tax from fuel through VAT.

Typical sollution, maybe everyone should just give up and stay at home. They don't like motorists, but don't invest in a proper public transport system... if you don't want people in cars stop putting up the prices on the trains, buses etc.

They think the recession is bad now. What would it be like if every motorist in the UK stayed at home and didn't go to work, or spend any money. Start closing up the loop holes where those in the know as fiddle their tax etc. and wasting money paying for unneccesary cival servants and expensive wallpaper for government offices.

You can't keep a house warm with the windows and doors open.

As I run 7 taxi/private hire vehicles in and around Skegness I thougt that I would benifit with the cut in VAT, but as always we are stuffed always round. Not only do I get ne benifit from it, I will be penalised even further when it resumes at 17.5%. This has to stop, we are just simply getting ripped off all the time.

See you on the street with your begging bowl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is absolutely disgraceful.We have a car industry that is on its knees, and the only answer we get from this bankrupt government is to increase the duty on fuel.

Same old 1974 Labour-Be back to three day weeks again soon.


We have never paid so much tax-Isn't it time they were taken out of Government- Don't forget these increases when they want your vote- just before the election they will make 'Tax cuts'.

on your blog you point out that fuel prices are taxed twice. this is actually three times as people seem to forget that the ordinary motorist already pays tax on his/her income before they get it.

Not impressed with the amount of tax on fuel in the first place, this only makes it worse - boo hiss.

This is actually a tax rise now for businesses since VAT can be reclaimed and Fuel Duty can't be. Therefore the take by government is higher.
However the money to kick start the economy must come from somewhere and I support the Government on this issue.

They must be mad if they think that 2.5% is going to make any difference in the high street with shops discounting by 25 - 30% to try to generate sales. What they have done to petrol duty is stupid as this would have made quite a difference to motoring costs, i buy 3 x 50 litres per week which would have meant a saving of £3.45 but i now have an increase of £0.60 a difference of over £4.00 per week. The one good thing about the whole episode is that it means we are getting closer to the end of this incompetent discredited government.

This is nothing more than the classic labour misdirection which most will have come to recognise. by reducing the price of vat there is still no guarantee that ANY prices will fall as retailers are currently needing to recoup losses incurred as a result of the economic slowdown. This action will do nothing more than force the next government to severally increase taxes in order to pay off labour debts. As for the increase in petrol duty does this include the "postponed" 2p rise which was announced during their last budget, I would severally doubt it meaning that they still have an additional increase to come. Personally I believe that any claim that this is an environmental is completely negated by Gordon Brown who likes to charter jumbo jets to fly him around rather that slum it with his constituents proving the modern day labour party policy is look after ourselves and who cares about these peons we are supposed to represent.

In summary all I can say is roll on the next election.

At the moment I can reclaim my 17.5% VAT on deisel. Come 1st December then all I can reclaim is 15%, so he is in effect cancelling out the reduction in VAT. He is not helping businesses at all other wise he would have left VAT on fuel alone. In fact our running costs will have gone up so I cannot see the 2.5% reduction being passed on to the consumer expecialy in the smaller shops.

The tax burden on this country should be more equally divided instead of being on the motorist and paye brigade. We have all read about supposed celebrities and football clubs who spend money like it is going out of fashion whilst owing millions to the taxman eventually declaring themselves bankrupt. Time also for the tax exiles to be made to pay, the cynical way Lewis Hamilton has fled the Country to protect his money is disgraceful, their Citizenship should be revoked and they should be denied entry to the country, after all they don't want to contribute financially so we don't want them here.

IT ALL WAYS HITS WERE IT HURTS, WORKING CLASS & THE O A P S

Labour always take more than they give. We are in this mess because of Brown and the Banks. But there is are three question. !) Why has diesel not come down as much as petrol 2) why is diesel more expensive than petrol when its cheaper to produce 3) Why does no one raise the diesel point as this has a direct effect on inflation?

Would there have been a tax rise on fuel, if the prices hadnt come down over the past month ??

I dont think so

Labour just give with hand and take with the other.

Reduce the VAT and increase the tax on fuel !! WHATS THE POINT?

Most of my money is spent on food, drink and diesel. The budget does not help me one little bit on any of those.

Petrol prices have not come down aaas quickly or as far as oil prices so when oil prices go up again petrol/diesel will go up even higher than before.

How on earth can the government say that they are trying to help the average man or woman with tax cuts and then put tax up on fuel! Doesn't the average person rely on their car to get them to and from work, the doctors and yes, even the shops? This is a budget to make us start spending again after all.

This is exactly the sort of thinking that got this country into the financial predicament we are in.

People will be less willing to spend if they know that fuel is going to cost more, I for one will have to continue to budget just to be able to get to work and back.

The sooner this Government loose an election and get replaced with a party that can see a bigger picture (for that I mean further than their own pockets) the better.

I think its disgusting, the Government have taken the Great out of great britain in more ways than 1. My OH is a lorry driver and its at this chain that the hardest hit will get the pain from this.
Its no good they have done nothing for us, they dont really want to help us as a Nation, all drivers and homeowners etc need proper help.
He has not reduced alcohol either more and more Pubs are going down the pan, where is there help. This is such a knock on effect that i think unless they put on there human heads they not gonna be able to work out what is going on out in the real world.
For us meare mortals we are struggling and i for one wont be going to jusy to gain the £2.50 out of every £100 we spend, we will not see it on what we really nees and thats the fuel costs, thats the start of the chain and thats where we need it most.
Mr Darling look deeper, you really dont have a clue, do you!

As a businessman who relies on his van to carry out his day to day work, I am able to claim all my vat back on fuel but now there is less vat for me to reclaim on the fuel but an increase in price so my running costs have gone up, what about haulage contractors, they will be hit massiveley and not be able to claim as much back.

Lets return to a cash only system and what we earn we keep ourselves instead of some idiots dishing out our hard earned cash willy nilly.

Well done Government - AGAIN! Surely raising fuel taxes makes food and other items more expensive to deliver which will then increase shop prices?