10.03.08 The Chancellor must scrap the 2p fuel duty rise
Would a 2p increase in fuel duty make you vote the government out at the next election?
On Wednesday the Chancellor Alistair Darling will unveil the 2008 budget, and with it, a series of tax hikes on motoring. The government is still planning to press ahead with a 2p increase in fuel duty, to take effect from April 1st 2008, despite increasing fears over the state of the economy and new record oil prices being set each week. Oil prices reached a record $107.44 on Monday morning.
Figures from PetrolPrices.com show that the price of unleaded has shot up 18.1p per litre in the last year. At the beginning of March 2007 a litre of unleaded cost 88p. Both unleaded and diesel are at record highs - unleaded is now 106.1p per litre and diesel is 112.5p.
Despite the impact record prices are having on motorists, on the haulage industry and on inflation, it's likely believe that the Chancellor will push through the price rise anyway. Many believe he is scared of being labelled as a hypocrite – this year's budget has been billed as the 'Green Budget', and cutting fuel duty would not be in line with the overall message the government wants to convey.
Other methods of taxing motorists are expected to be announced too, for example taxing gas guzzling cars out of existence, by adding a 'showroom' tax of £2000 to the most heavily polluting cars, and colour coding tax disks by carbon emissions. This would make it easier for local councils to identify and penalise high polluters, possibly by charging 4x4 owners more for parking.
But why does the Chancellor need this extra revenue? Rising fuel prices caused by oil price rises have been bad for motorists, but good for the government. Compared to the Pre-Budget Report in October, figures suggest that the Treasury has received an extra £1.2 billion in revenue because of the tax on North Sea oil. This means Mr Darling could easily afford to scrap the 2p increase, which estimates suggest would cost £1 billion.
If the Chancellor doesn't scrap the increase, and the conditions in the economy and the oil market continue, pump prices will hit £1.50 a litre this year - the equivalent to well over £6 a gallon. This would have a catastrophic effect on motorists, the haulage industry, and therefore inflation and the country as a whole.
Motorists across the UK are now having to adjust their driving habits because of the price rises - many now take fewer non-essential trips, have switched to smaller or more efficient cars or drive slower to get the most out of their tank. Green lobbyists see these changes as evidence that hitting motorists financially is the only way to curb carbon emissions, but it's possible that going ahead with the 2p fuel duty rise and continuing to target motorists could cost Labour much more than a few pennies at the next election.
Should the 2p rise be scrapped? Have you changed your driving habits as a result of fuel prices? Are green taxes stealth tax or will they help us cut our carbon emissions?
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This government will NOT listen to the people who employ THEM, they are arrogant OVERPAID IGNORANT PRIVILAGED toffs, and they have no concern for the man/woman on the street as they have no problems paying the higher prices (33% pay rise last time).
Vive la Revolution
To be honest, they can continue pushing prices up. It's only a matter of time until it will not be worth me going to work once we have factored in fuel, cost of parking (goes to council), council tax, income tax & NI. Then paying for everything else in my life, which benefits would cover. For anyone outside London, we cannot get jobs on our doorsteps. We HAVE to travel, there is NO WAY to travel on the public transport. So benefits could soon, if this continues, be my new career....as someone who has worked all his life and doesnt claim a penny :)
How can he reduce fuel taxes when the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are costing so much! Look at tonights news. Can anyone explain to me why the British tax payers have to pay for our troops to defend these countries ? Why are the governments of Iraq and Afghanistan not picking up the bill ? Its bad enough that our sons ad daughters are drafter to these god forsaken places to fight for people who dont like or want us .
If you haven't heard the term 'Peak Oil'; brace yourself as you'll be hearing it a lot more in the years to come. It's been a whispered term for many years, much like "global warming" was back in the 60's.
In 1956, geophysicist Dr. M. King Hubbert predicted that oil production in the USA would reach its peak around 1970 and then go into a state of decline. He also predicted that global oil production would peak around the late 90's/early 21st century. He plotted the increase, peak and decrease of oil production on a graph; and his theory is popularly known as Hubbert's Peak.
Dr Hubbert also flagged with the world the issue not only of declining oil production, but the increasing cost associated in extracting what oil remained after the "low hanging fruit" had been picked.
There is no doubt that the cost of oil production in recent times has been huge - not only in the exploration and production itself in financial terms; but also in terms of environmental damage caused. Added to that has been the huge military expense and associated human suffering caused through wars that have been pushed on the public by their governments as being issues of national safety rather than their true motivation - control of oil reserves. The war in Iraq is a classic example of that.
Dr Hubbert was ridiculed by many when he released his research; but his predictions appear to have come true. USA oil production did indeed go into rapid decline around 1971.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), a cartel of countries whose members sit on around two-thirds of the world's oil reserves have been in a state of public denial about peak oil theory for many years; but that seems to have changed recently also.
In the November/December 2006 issue of OPEC's publication; "OPEC Bulletin", on page 62 is an article by Dr Shokri Ghanem, Chairman of the People?s Committee, the National Oil Corporation (NOC) of Libya; discussing not the "if" of peak oil occurring; but "when" and he acknowledges that we may already be in that timeframe.
Fact: we are consuming more oil globally and the trend will continue
Fact: it is not a renewable resource in relation to our consumption levels
Fact: countries go to war over control of oil reserves
Fact: oil consumption has a negative impact on the environment
Fact: gas at the pump continues to, generally speaking, increase in price
Fact: many plastics and other trappings of the modern world are made from oil
Fact: the world is running out of easily sourced oil; i.e. production using current technology has peaked, and what oil is left will cost more to pull out of the ground using methods most likely to be even more unfriendly to the environment.
Paints a rather grim picture for our oil addicted society doesn't it? If we're willing to invade a country now for oil, how much more aggressive will we be when supply really gets tight?
How does food get to your table? Do you grow it in your yard, or is it trucked in to your supermarket? How do you collect it; do you walk to the supermarket or drive? How do you get to work?
How many affordable alternative energy vehicles are now on the market?
When the Iraq war and other geo-political issues pushed the price of oil to record levels; people stopped buying SUV's. Within a couple of weeks of a drop in prices; they went back to buying them again. It just goes to show how little we learn. We had a taste of what really expensive gas was like, yet as soon as the pressure was backed off a little; we went straight back to our previous oil-greedy ways.
We won't learn, oil will have to run out or become so horribly expensive that only few can use it to any degree. What will it cost? How much will it impact on the cost of other items? How many more people will have to die and how much more will our environment suffer while we squeeze out the last viable drop of oil that the planet has to offer?
These are important issues to think about - don't rely on governments to provide the answers to a world without oil as they've all been in denial for way too long. Yes, there are renewable/alternative energy programs in place; but given the major role that oil plays in our lives; permeating just about every aspect; whether these new, cleaner technologies can be rolled out broadly before we hit the real crunch is something I'm not very confident of.
The time is now to start thinking about and making changes to the way you live so your life is not so oil-centered. Remember that a lack of oil extends far beyond just not being able to drive your car - so many other products, services and industries are based on oil.
"Compared to the Pre-Budget Report in October, figures suggest that the Treasury has received an extra £1.2 billion in revenue because of the tax on North Sea oil"
You seem unaware that the North Sea oil fields are in steep decline, in just a few years we will be entirely dependant on oil imports, of course the Government is going to grab what it can, it's in The Last Chance Saloon. Unfortunate that unlike the Norwegians, we have as a nation completely squandered our oil revenues - and are now up sh*t creek.
Lucky for us then that however much people whinge about the price, we are still going to be able to outbid third world countries for diminishing oil supplies isn't it.
That is, until the USA decide they want the lot, and let's face it, it isn't their fault that their oil is under other people's sand is it?
i agree with all above but i cant wait until the next election to get these people out.and who knows the tories could be worse remember ken clarkes fuel esculater on fuel duty.i wonder how many people when they are filling their cars up know how much is going to brown and darling,would nt it be a good idea to have the prices shown at the petrol station broken down so every body can see most of their money is going to the goverment and not to shell bp esso etc etc,we may even get the fuel stations to help by breaking the total cost down on our reciepts ie vat, fuel duty,petrol.it may make people more aware that we are being ript off
Waiting for the peak oil deniers.................
and waiting.....................
I am an hgv driver and worry about jobs how can hauliers keep being expected to absorb higher fuel prices.If they pass on costs it effects prices in shops which is bad news for everone. The goverment must scrap the 2p rise in budget to go ahead is sheer greed.
The sooner people realize that Labour = HIGHER/STEALTH taxes and vote these morons out the better. The Car is the main source of transport out for a lot of low income families, most of these families cannot afford newer/greener cars. So taxing of C02 emissions is unfair. Also the amount of tax we pay on petrol is a joke ! But us Brits just seem to take it on the chin !
If this was happening in France they would be burning sheep in the streets ! The last unfair tax to be scrapped was the Poll Tax....a few violent protests and the government were forced into scrapping it. Now I'm not advocating riots but it worked !!
The French make a couple of the most fuel efficient cars on the mass market - the Citroen C1 and the Renault 107. At 109 gCO2/mile they both come into the £35 per year tax and you can get 70 miles per gallon.
The French don't just burn sheep in the streets :)
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The energy crisis is NOT just a UK issue. Take a look at this US site thread discussing how their trucking industry is being KILLED by high fuel costs:
Check the homesteadingtoday DOT com website /showthread.php?t=237048
Quite simply, anyone who NEEDS low fuel prices to commute, keep warm or otherwise survive should be URGENTLY planning to change their job and/or car and/or house ... BEFORE millions of others suddenly decide to do the same!
What an utter disgrace and shower of s*** this labour govt is, who voted them in and more to the point who will vote them out at the next election? Me for one!! Seems the British spirit has been destroyed and with the powers the police have to combat fuel protests they now seem dead and unlikely to happen anytime soon. The oil companies, middle eastern oil rich countries and govt are raking it in big time!! Forget fuel protests-time to REVOLT BIG TIME. Disgusting!!
Update: this is a link that works: tinyurl.com/2adoeo
What difference does it make whether there's a 2p duty rise or not?
We'll still be having petroleum rationing before Year 2020.
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Well part of life petrol going up , and every thing else is going up as well things will not get better in the year. Stop moment about it life to short to worry about it a world thing problem petrol price well you will soon see £1.50 a litre by the end of the year like or not
It is vitally important for the UK to reduce its reliance on oil. Over the coming decade or so we simply won't be able to afford to continue to use 1.6 million barrels per day. Replacing indigenous oil and gas production from the North Sea with imports will double our trade deficit. It is in the interest of our economy to reduce our oil use.
The only question is how to reduce our current consumption of 1.6 mbpd. It's plainly obvious that fuel is still relatively cheap - while there is still a market for <40mpg cars, while people still choose to live 50 miles from their daily place or work, while we still choose to truck food the length and breath of Europe, fuel is cheap.
I support this increase in duty - I would rather the price increased this year delivering an early market signal and revenue to government than next year delivering a delayed market signal and revenue to overseas oil producers. Why would anyone support the latter?
Soon only the rich will be able to afford to drive. But whats the use of even talking about this if people will do nothing about it.
Just carry on as normal everyone. Bend over and take it. I for one am out of here.
How is introducing tax going to help mr peak oil? If your theory is right the oil will finish and the tax man will get its money from your ow so green sources of energy.
Think of the bigger picture, once the gov makes this a source of income it will keep on it and you and your friends will come to my door and beg for forgiveness but it would be too late. We are trying to open your eyes to the truth here.
This is beyond oil my bretheren
Re 24
Are you under the impression that alternative energy sources are going to be able to replace fossil fuel energy?
You need to do a little more research, or even some.
As for forgiveness, you might want to think how we are all going to ask our children and grandchildren for that.
This is crazy. We need to put a stop to the ever increasing fuel costs....it can't go on.
Boo To Peak Oil wrote:
How is introducing tax going to help mr peak oil?
Peak oil means we WILL be using less oil in the future than today. That much is certain. The question is how do we that to transition from today's high use to tomorrow's low use?
I'd rather we didn't wait for the crisis physical shortage would cause, the profiteering by the remaining oil exporting countries and the extreme price volatility that is so damaging to economies. By reacting early through taxation we can achieve the same effect - but on our terms, with the extra cost staying in this country rather than the Middle East.
To say no to this duty increases is to make the country more vulnerable to external factors beyond our control.
Lets look at the facts. The national defence needs an extra £1.5 billion from the tax payer. How is that going to save the environment?
Can you give us examples where this money raised from the so called green tax has been used for the benefit of the environment?
We must also remember humans are not the only species on the planet. We are out numbered by other organisms which produce co2 when they exhale. Look at volcanoes the biggest source of pollution you can get and its all natural.
One is tempted to ask to tax them.
Humans are so small in comparison to the earth there is no point in punishing one country in the world in the name of the environment. Start talking to china and the u.s. Making UK the greenest in the world will only result in economic collapse.
If there were proper practical alternatives, for example reliable and affordable bus and railway system people might listen.
I still have the door open should you see the light and decide to do the right thing and apologize.
Thats ok then just keep supporting G W Bush and the US in its illegal wars and watch our economy go down the pan like the US economy is. Heard todays news biggest recession ever coming to the USA now! Its not Brown thats caused oil prices to rise its the wars started by Bush. Plenty of oil left just now . Wars cost lives and money and you are being taxed by the US to fund its wars. We are just a supporting state of the US. You have all been so busy winging about Europe you have missed the fact that for all intents and purposes the USA now runs this country.
to 30
I agree with you. This is not about the availability of oil it is about spending money unnecessarily.
Guys the door is still open. You can still be forgiven.
I was deciding to come back to the Uk until i saw the petrol prices we in Gibraltar only pay 64.6 pence a litre for unleaded and 5p odd pence of diesel.
Boo To Peak Oil wrote:
Making UK the greenest in the world will only result in economic collapse.
I thought we were talking about oil dependence and the economy, why are you starting to talk about the environment? Ignore the environmental aspects if you like - consider the economic implications of reliance on a finite and depleting resource, a resource for which we are rapidly running out of our own reserves and are turning to the world export market for.
There is a problem when turning to the world export market though - it is a shrinking market as the world's largest exporters are seeing the fastest internal consumption growth, reducing their net exports. Also - we are competing in this market with countries like China with massive trade surpluses. How can a country like the UK with large and increasing trade deficit compete successfully against a country like China with a large and increasing trade surplus?
Making the UK the "greenest in the world" if by that you mean lower oil use will not result in economic collapse - quite the opposite. Attempting to maintain our economic reliance on oil will inevitable lead to collapse. Why do you want to damage the UK economy by attempting to cling to the past like this?
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Responce to CLV101
why are you starting to talk about the environment?
The fuel levy and effectively the fuel prices are going to increase.
Why? Because of green taxes.
Why? Because the government wants to save the environment.
By talking about the environment I was trying to make my fellow country men and women understand that this is not what they are going to do, but it is a good excuse to take more away from you.
People are opposed to gas guzzlers but still have not answered the question, which environmentally friendly car can fit three child seats plus their luggage safely? We are told to buy hybrids but they cost the earth and are not subsidised. We are told to pay to pay but it is becoming more and more evident that we are not paying for what they say we are paying.
Attempting to maintain our economic reliance on oil will inevitable lead to collapse....
Take U.S.A as an example. They are the highest consumers of oil in the world. What will they do when the oil runs out?
Well do a bit of research and you will find that the U.S has the largest oil reserve in the world. Meaning should it run out they have enough to sustain themselves for close to a decade.
A second point is that the argument of depletion of oil under estimates human abilities. Are you assuming we can not come up with a sustainable yet affordable replacement before the oil is depleted? (Which is roughly with in the next 50 years).
By making UK the greenest in the world, I was referring to the unbearable fuel costs which would have to be in place in order to have that status. We all know fuel prices affects prices for food and just about anything you need to survive. Why would you want economic ruin, as in for British people not being able to live in Britain?
Can you not see, tax is part of the problem not the solution to this problem. I still insist on this point come up with worth while alternatives.
Until then government should revise its spending and balance its books properly instead of milking the motorist.
I just want whats best for you and me, which is to be able to go to work, earn enough money to be able to survive.
I remain opposed to high fuel prices and pro economic survival.
The door is still open, perhaps not as wide as before, you can still be forgiven and join our cause of fighting high fuel prices.
This country is going down the toilet.
If i disagree with the over priced charges at the pump, who can i speak to about it if i disagree?
No-one thats who.
Are we allowed to protest over this anymore?? WHat happened to the protests like in 2000?
I think everybody is just to busy trying to get to work on time to pay their Council Tax, Gas/Electric and Water bills - no time for fuel protests!!
TAX TAX TAX TAX TAX TAX TAX TAX - My country is turning into a horrible place, and i really don't think i want my kids to grow up here any more.
Please lets get this government out - why am i working my a$$ off to pay TAX? And what the hell does all this tax go towards?
Road maintenence? i think not.
Paying for asylum seekers' rail fares so they 'transport themselves to a detention centre'? Ha what a joke.
If we are charged high rates for fuel now, when we are forced to source supplies from other countries, will they not see that we have paying a premium, and charge us the same again??
Boo To Peak Oil wrote:
"Well do a bit of research and you will find that the U.S has the largest oil reserve in the world. Meaning should it run out they have enough to sustain themselves for close to a decade."
This is totally wrong. See the BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2007. The US uses 20.6 mbpd, they extract 6.9 mbpd leaving them reliant on imports for 67%. No idea what you mean by "largest oil reserve in the world". US oil is almost all gone with just some 27bn barrels left and a declining production rate. If you're referring to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve it is just 700 million barrels - good for 34 days!
Boo To Peak Oil wrote:
"A second point is that the argument of depletion of oil under estimates human abilities. Are you assuming we can not come up with a sustainable yet affordable replacement before the oil is depleted? (Which is roughly with in the next 50 years)."
I don't know what you mean by oil being depleted in 50 years. Oil will still be extracted somewhere for hundreds of years, it'll never be fully depleted. However the rate of extraction, of course the rate is the only important thing, will certainly peak within 50 years, most likely well within a decade. Do I think we can come up with a sustainable yet affordable replacement to offset decine post peak? Yes - but only with the necessarily early price signals which is why WE MUSTN'T cut the tax on oil, we must instead increase it.
Boo To Peak Oil wrote:
"I remain opposed to high fuel prices and pro economic survival."
I can understand why you might think that, but it's the incorrect result of you misunderstanding the oil industry.
People don't choose to live 50 miles from work. They live 50 miles from work because house price inflation prevents them living nearer.
I wouldn't object to the 2p/litre rise if it was ploughed back into making public transport work for the majority of people - not just those in London. The government needs to nationalise the buses and trains, and subsidise their costs with the income from the motorist, while investing in expanding the network so that people can use trains and buses to travel. The subsidies will allow less profitable routes to operate. Reverse the Beeching closures, add new stations to existing lines where there are large centres of population nearby, and invest in rail and light-rail, rather than roads.
Until the transport network returns to Government control, this cannot happen, so the 2p rise (and the VAT on that!) just goes back into the governments coffers.
re 31
"Well do a bit of research and you will find that the U.S has the largest oil reserve in the world. Meaning should it run out they have enough to sustain themselves for close to a decade."
This is not a good example, the USA peaked in the early 70's and rely on other oil producing countries for around 80% of their supplies.
As for what they do when supplies get tighter, take a look at their present strategy to give yourself a clue, they are simply going to take yours and the rest of the worlds by whatever means, just as they are doing now. And is not even as if they are doing it by guile. They are flat out stating that what is yours erm, isn't actually, it's ours.
You and I might say it would be more intelligient to plan a powerdown strategy, unfortunately not only is this not happening but it is quite unlikely to either as it would require a level of international cooperation that simply isn't there.
Solutions have been offered, such as the oil depletion protocol, which you can google for an interesting read.
Still, when it's all said and done any argument for the continuing existence of society and civilization as we currently know it comes up hard, really hard against so many brick walls, fossil fuel depletion, climate change (which is happening, whatever the cause), and overshoot in practically every area that is essential for maintaining a large, and getting larger, population. Six more planets available anyone?
Response to clv101
We are going to have to agree to disagree on the oil reserve for the u.s. There is just no way the US would rely on oil without keeping a reserves, that is like starting a business without a back up plan.
There is enough oil left for another 100 plus years but as you have to dig deeper and deeper to get the oil it becomes unprofitable to do so hence 50 years of oil left.
By cutting the tax you are allowing the middle class and poor to get on with their business in an affordable way. By increasing taxes you are encouraging cars to become a thing of status. " I am rich, that's why I drive".
I still do not understand your reasoning for higher taxes, especially when you know that money is not used for research into alternative fuel sources or anything that would make sense in the interest of the worlds environment.
What you are effectively saying is take our money because that will slow down the oil consumption, which again is untrue. You can not change behaviour by force. There are other, non taxing ways you can do that.
We have all realised the fuel tax is unjustified and is only there to raise extra revenue to cover miss management.
I assure you, there will be congestion whether the fuel price is £0.60 or £2.00 a litre. Never the less you are still welcome to join us.
Boo To Peak Oil wrote:
"We are going to have to agree to disagree on the oil reserve for the u.s. There is just no way the US would rely on oil without keeping a reserves, that is like starting a business without a back up plan."
This is just daft. There's not room for you to disagree about the US. Due to the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the large number of independents the US market is one of the most transparent in the world. Check the data with the BP Statistical Review, with the US's one Energy Information Agency, with the OECD's International Energy Agency.
Boo To Peak Oil wrote:
"There is enough oil left for another 100 plus years but as you have to dig deeper and deeper to get the oil it becomes unprofitable to do so hence 50 years of oil left."
Show me. How do you know that? Where do you get 100 years and 50 years from? I'm very familiar with the oil data and I'm don't recognise these numbers.
Boo To Peak Oil wrote:
"I still do not understand your reasoning for higher taxes..."
This higher taxes are there to pre-empt the inevitable in the more controlled way - I'd rather the price hike came in earlier and the cash stayed in the country than later with the cash leaving the country and leaving us with oil dependent infrastructure we can no longer afford to run.
I'd rather the price hike came in earlier and the cash stayed in the country than later with the cash leaving the country and leaving us with oil dependent infrastructure we can no longer afford to run.
Would you rather more people going benefits or even worse leaving the country because they can not afford to stay? Lets weigh the options and not be too hasty.
There's not room for you to disagree about the US. Due to the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the large number of independents the US market is one of the most transparent in the world..
That is quite funny. Why would they tell the world exactly what they have? They have painted a picture which many people have bought as the truth. From what I see I believe you have bought that story using cash and did not get a receipt. I don't need reports to know that things that are classed in the interest of national security will not be divulged with outsiders.
I think we are going around in circles here, so I leave you with this, the world has over 4 billion people in it. Why should 60 million (UK) be punished while the rest finishes the oil?
I take it you will join us now in our fight for cheaper fuel prices?
Since new labour has been in power they have extracted an extra £2K in taxes from my wages in all forms of tax. I have no choice but to use my car for work and now I'm getting to the point that I'm getting very concerned about my living standards. I'm actually now worse off than in 1992!
Why on earth they called Brown a prudent chancellor when he was awash with tax and has now squandered it for no improvement is beyond me!!
As a self employed tradesman, I just pass on my costs to my clients - ie you and as we are all in the same boat you don't really have a choice but to cover our increased expenses, so feel free to shop around!.
fuel rise - what fuel rise!
We cannont go on like this, how will the normal everyday person be able to go to work ! It is as if the goverment would rather we just stay at home and claim the social .... what benefits does a hard working person get ! none.
Hey Peak Oil!
The free space in this Island we call home is rapidly depleting too almost as fast as the oil reserves, very soon there will be no houses nor space to build them.
Shall we have a tax on imigration and number of Children too?
Boo To Peak Oil, Over 4bn? Why say that and not 6.6bn? I'm starting to think numbers aren't your strong suit which might explain the difficulties you having getting your head round the oil data. To suggest some government cover-up regarding US oil puts you far into the realms of tin-foil-hat conspiracies.
I am not suggesting for a moment "punishing" the people of the UK, I'm talking about taking the decisions to give the UK a relative *advantage* in the world going forward. Sticking with the status quo as you suggest would truly be a punishment.
I do not think there should be an increase on fuel in the next budget simply because fuel goes up every week anyway without a budget. Since it got to £1 litre it has gone up every week, when is this going to stop. I am a pensioner and everything in the supermarket is going up every week and surely this is mostly due to the price of fuel. Hauliers will be going out of business, is this what this government want?
Its a shame normal people are no longer able to drive enjoyable cars really.We are living in a communist society dictated to by goverment taxes we are not free.I ask myself what can we do as an individual plenty emigrate and leave these greedy people to it.The majority of rich people I know pay no tax earn 80k a year and just lose the tax in there company its a joke so petrol is not an issue if the government got tax off every one who earned just 20% each they wouldnt need to tax so much on fuel its just greed easy money nothing more .
Do the Government want trains to run?
I'm a train driver and to provide this essential service have to drive 15 miles each way to and from work every day. Although providing a public transport service I get no tax or other relief on the fuel bill I must pay. And as my shifts start or finish long before or after trains run I must use my car. But I get increasingly fed up at how much it costs me to make the journey, with diesel now at 116.9 at local garages.
Presumably the powers that be would rather I went onto benefits and stayed at home - I'd probably end up with more disposable income...
Why dont they just have all my wages and give me a credit card, goverment pays all my bills and then see some hard eveidence who's out of pocket!
Poor are getting poorer and the rich are getting richer.....thats what the government wants!
Being robbed to live in this world.
this price goes ahead it will have a knock on effect on other provisions to increase.
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Adding another 2p to petrol will not alter my driving habits. We use our car for essential journeys only. I am Incapacitated with an illness that cause me great pain to walk, or carry anything (amongst other things) All this rise will do for me is make my cost of living higher. We are living on the breadline at the moment, we will have to cut so9mething else out of our budget to afford this rise.
The petrol costs in our area (North Devon) are higher than elsewhere anyway, the dearest being £1.11.9p per litre. This Station is the nearest to us and is always higher than anywhere else in the area.
Please, Darling Mr. Darling, please consider us, the disabled who need our cars just to be able to leave the house. Please don't put the prices up any more.
Shirley
The 'make you vote the government out' is misleading. I wrongly voted no........
This, the greediest of any government, should be given VERY short shrift at the next election!
I'm 63. I've always been British to the core. My wife and I are now buying a house in France to live there permanently.....Au Revoir and Good riddance to Brown and his cohorts.
I think the Chancellor should not only forget this 2p increase, I think he should reduce the duty on diesel fuel to bring it in line with petrol... The government are supposed to be rewarding greener vehicles, let's see more evidence of that reflecting that diesel is less polluting than petrol.
One day all the goverments will wake up to the fact that fuel price increases hit the less well off a lot more than the well off.
The less well off can't afford to buy the latest cars with the latest technology so they don't get the benefit of lower road tax, and they can less afford the now very excessive price of fuel.
Phil H
The governement steals enough from the people already. The Vat alone on petrol is an absolute fortune, plus the road tax, which seems pointless, as they tax everyone on every litre of fuel they buy anyway.
We should all get rid of these dictators in government.
What do they propose to do with the money they take? Start another war?
Ruin the NHS?
Why don't they all take a 50% pay cut. That will save the governement millions!
oh and peak oil prat you can now run cars on renewable energy eg veg oil , methanol of which the government has no intention relieving taxes if all waste oils were collected cleaned up then resold at cheaper than diesel prices people would buy it but they dont want u to know because they dont make or would'nt as much money on it a communist country brainwashed by the news controlled by taxes its sad .
If you think that wars over oil are bad, wait till global warming really kicks in.
The thoughts amoungst stratagists are the the next world war, will be fought over not, oil, but water.
get out your hard hats.
I cant unserstand this need for a potential further increase in petrol tax. It doesn't make any economic logic at all. The government wants to curb inflationary pressures on the economy. If I have to pay more for my fuel, then I will ask for a higher wage increase.
The idea that increasing fuel tax will make us all become greener is ridiculous. It makes me think that if the government is not prepared to consider better ways of helping people into greener transport, whatever that means, other than to tax tax tax, then what options do I have left to me other than vote against them next time.
It shows lack of ideas and creativity.
Crikey! It's not like I drive for FUN! Would you rather I quit my job, sold my car, then spent my life on benefits like a rather large % of the UK population??
Quit punishing the hard working % of the population.
ps - commuting via public transport and not owning a car is only convenient for those living in LONDON!
With an election looming it would be a very stupid chancellor to do .. so show us all how stupid you really are. Give the average person a break and don't do it .
Instead of adding more duty to the motorist which will put up food and heating costs, he would be better off and more popular if he put it on all alcholic beverages, then maybe less people would be getting drunk, and less would put the health service under less pressure, savings all round.
I am sick of being taxed on everything I buy and on everything that I save.
The price of petrol is ridiculous for families and hauliers in particular and fuel duty should be going down, not just not increasing at this time of high fuel prices. Petrol is 0.42p per litre in Venezuela where it is subsidized by the government and regarded as a necessity.
Re 38, USA Oil Reserves
"We have 2 percent of the oil. We use 25 percent of the world's oil. This is a shocking picture."
Congressman Roscoe Bartlett to Congress,28/2/08.
I live in a village and work some seven miles from home. I have to carru tools and instruments to work making public transport inpractical. As I work for a local authority I use my car to transport service users with learning disabilities. When I claim my mileage it is added to my sallery and taxed again. I earn a modest income that is being eaten away by unfair taxes. I await my coming retirement eagerly so that I can leave this country and live somewhere that I can afford to drive in.
Sean.
The hike in fuel duty is pointless.
1) the price has risen sharply in 12 months so people are already carefully considering each journey
2) HMRC has had a windfall from VAT on fuel, North Sea tax but also corporation tax on BP and Shell who made billions from the high oil price.
So, how can Mr. Darling justify the 2p per litre increase?!
Also, considering how price sensitive supply and demand is, surely the oil companies would be lobbying to not apply the increase too?!
I regret to say that our goverments do not listen to the people who put them in office.
We must find a way to remove the tax on fuel and asap remove this government. The tax on fuel and many other things is ridiculous. The Country should now receive a new name Not ENGLAND but TAXLAND.
Stop wasting our money.
How about Brown and his cronies get back to Scotland from whence they came,and lets have an English Government run the country.
He and Blair have done enough damage.
I drive approx 500 miles per week with my job. My fuel allowance is in line with the Inland Revenue mileage allowance rates. How come these rates don't go up to reflect fuel price increases?
Anyway, the Chancellor should not do it.
Why do we think our government is acting in the interests of the people who elected it ? Nothing could be further from the truth. Having lied their way into power all they really want to do is hold on to the power they have to force more legislation down our necks to make Britain the most overgoverned big brother society in Europe. Our politicians are too busy listening to the interests of vociferous minorities and lining their own pockets both for now and for the future to really care what is best for Britain. We live in a selfish criminal,expensive,violent society that is managed by inept politicians who do not care two pence for the majority of the population as long as we keep voting them in.
As for fuel prices - why do we have the most expensive fuel in Europe when we are Norway are the only significant oil producer ? It makes me laugh when I see Diesel is so much cheaper in Europe compared to petrol but NOT in RIP OFF BRITAIN where it is now on average 8p a litre more expensive> WAKE UP BRITAIN YOU ARE BEING CONNED BY BIG BUSINESS AND THE GOVERNMENT.
I started driving cars 13 years ago and my car at the time ran on 4 star (which was the dearest) and it was 57.9p a litre back then, to think it is now nearly double. Also could anyone explain how Diesel is the dearest fuel when it was always cheaper than unleaded as it was classed as a commercial fuel.
We need to get rid of this government and stopping using the poor motorist to plug the gaps in the NHS etc, use transport taxes for transport.
This makes me cringe yet another raise in fuel? With all the increases that have happend so far it will be hard to even run a car soon,
Our company are talking about raises of 2-3 % all the fuel and tax increases have took that before i get it?
Can't our so called goverment help us for a change
The british people
Marios Patrinos wrote:
"HMRC has had a windfall from VAT"
Not quite. The money that people are spending (and paying VAT on) for fuel is now not being spend (and paying VAT on) other things. To total government VAT take isn't likely to increase much.
If only everyone said "enough is enough" and stopped purchasing petrol, say for a week. We could have this sorted within a week, for that i am sure!
I have run out of expletives for the shambolic organization that supposedly runs this country.
UK GOVERNMENT+UK BANKS = GREED+MAMMON
I would say that come next election, we will see the back of them, however the UK populous has a short memory and a couple of points off income tax will see these monkeys back behind the helm for another 4.
Get ready UK, this administration is going to cause the biggest recession EVER!.
Why does the 4x4 take such a panning? Surely it's the engines that supposedly do the pollution and 4x4's don't all have big engines.
The cost of fuel goes up regularly enough anyway, theres no need to add yet MORE tax on top! try fixing our roads ( theres road works left unfinished everywhere, pot holes in the floor and half filt holes ) with the money we already pay instead of charging us more for no extra benifits!
We have just bought a green car with very low CO2 emissions thus reducing our carbon footprint. Although the government have rewarded me for that with an annual VED of just 15 GBP, I'll go along with seeking the knocking off of the proposed 2p rise in April.