Fuel Prices Debate

[DianneT]

I received an email and then a personally signed letter from our Conservative MP Matthew Hancock he says he will be attending the debate on the 15th he understands this is an issue his constituents feel strongly about. He thanks me for taking the time to contact him and not to hesitate to contact him again in the future about this matter or any other issue.

 

[Parksy]

Well done everyone! Democracy in action

 

[birdman101]

I have done all the nescesary,but i have reservations.If the tax is reduced i fear the oil companies will take advantage of it and increase prices further.As their revenue goes up and tax is reduced,another item in our daily life will have to be taxed more to replace tax lost on fuel.

 

[TheTravellingRooster]

What about introducing punitive taxes on those who drive up the price of fuel by gambling on the futures market.
Ship owners who moor supertankers offshore whilst waiting for pump prices to rise should be shot!

Hi Parksy. Whilst I agree that punishment is overdue,I believe that they should be dowsed in their own ill-gotten gains and slow roasted over a spit. with a regular replenishment of fuel.
There is a link on CaravanTalk in a post entitled Fair Fuel Campaign which gives access to some little known and very damming information in relation to the oil reserves World Wide.
If this is provided by the various oil producers/governments it is very unlikely that it is exaggerated in a upward manner.

 

[Parksy]

I have done all the necessary,but i have reservations.If the tax is reduced i fear the oil companies will take advantage of it and increase prices further.As their revenue goes up and tax is reduced,another item in our daily life will have to be taxed more to replace tax lost on fuel.

I can understand your reservations Birdman, no one is suggesting that the government shouldn't levy fuel duty but the amount that motorists are paying is disproportionate.
There should be stricter price controls to prevent oil suppliers from mooring supertankers full of crude oil off our coast in order to wait until prices are forced to rise.
Motorists however need to make government ministers aware that inflationary taxes such as VAT increases on fuel and rises in fuel duty will not be tolerated whilst fat cat bankers who have caused many of the economic problems which we now face continue to receive millions of pounds in bonuses ( this is in addition to their inflated salaries).
If enough of us make our voices heard then the government will not be so quick and eager to burden hard pressed motorists with yet more tax increases.
If taxes have to be raised to make up for a perceived shortfall in fuel duty then perhaps MP's will consider increasing the amount of tax that they themselves pay whilst handing back the expenses that they continue to claim from the tax payers of this country.

Hi Parksy. Whilst I agree that punishment is overdue,I believe that they should be dowsed in their own ill-gotten gains and slow roasted over a spit. with a regular replenishment of fuel. There is a link on CaravanTalk in a post entitled Fair Fuel Campaign which gives access to some little known and very damming information in relation to the oil reserves World Wide. If this is provided by the various oil producers/governments it is very unlikely that it is exaggerated in a upward manner.

I have seen the links that you mentioned TR, this goes a long way towards explaining why the US and Britain were so keen to topple Saddam Hussein and are now sabre rattling with regard to Iran.
It would appear that widespread stories about oil shortages, global warming, over population etc are being put forward as a means to control us but obviously that discussion is best held elsewhere.

 

[joeby]

the reason for our high fuel prices is to pay for the 8 billion in foreign aid we give away every year ,

 

[Shirker]

Nurse, come quickly! Another one's escaped...

 

[Sproket]

Nurse, come quickly! Another one's escaped...

Found Him !

 

[joeby]

A lot of folks can't understand how we came to have an oil shortage here in our country.
> ~~~
> Well, there's a very simple answer.
> ~~~
> Nobody bothered to check the oil.
> ~~~
> We just didn't know we were getting low.
> ~~~
> The reason for that is purely geographical.
> ~~~
> Our OIL is located in
> ~~~
The North Sea
> ~~~
> Our
> DIPSTICKS
> are located in
> Westminster !!!
>
> Any Questions ???
> NO? I didn't think so!!

 

[Martin24]

Had a letter yesterday from our MP Graham Stuart to say he supported but was to busy to attend the debate!!!!!!!!!!! Knowing what he's been like in the past obviously no photographic opportunity attached!!

 

[Sproket]

North Sea Oil Gets £10 Billion Boost .........

 

[Parksy]

The Fair Fuel UK campaign group hope to continue to put pressure on the Government to abandon plans for a 3p rise in fuel duty after widespread support from MPs in the recent Commons debate which took place on 15th November.
Fair Fuel UK have launched a survey that will show how hard pressed motorists are being affected by exhorbitant fuel costs, and to impress upon the Chancellor of the Exchequer the strength of feeling regarding sky high fuel prices before his Autumn budget statement on 29th November.
To add your voice to the campaign please complete the survey which wil send the message that motorists are being targetted unfairly.
The survey can be found Here

 

[Surfer]

At the moment to fill the truck up from empty costs nearly £90 plus. We therefore only use the truck for towing the caravan now and have a low taxation class second vehicle which does 60mpg. This also means we cannot travel very far with the caravan and spend our money where a small town economy would benefit. We cannot really have the two vehicles as having the extra one means less trips out and about in the caravan. Catch 22.
We live rural and top speed most times is only about 40mph and at that speed the turbo on the truck is still operating giving us low mpg. Last year we sold the 4 x 4 that we had in September and come December we had a major problem with getting goods like food in as rural country lanes are not gritted.
A drop in taxation / duty on fuel would put more money in the consumer's pocket which in turn would help stimulate the economy, but if it had to happen it would be taken away by other means, i.e. increased council tax etc. A drop in VAT by 2.5% or even 5% probably would be a better stimulant for the economy and the government are probably aware of this however they have to make up for the over spending by the last government when they emptied the coffers. Once that has been done they have to build up the reserves because when the next Labour government get in again they will once again trash the country's reserves. They have been this since time immortal.
We are all on one hell of a merry go round!

 

[Parksy]

We're lucky enough to have good bus and train services within easy walking distance of our house so our truck spends a lot of it's time parked up in order to enable us to still enjoy our caravan.
A further fuel duty increase will prove disastrous for the stagnant British economy, if anything fuel duty should be cut to stimulate a revival.
It's often said that if the Government lower fuel duty they will have to raise much needed revenue elsewhere which is fine, so why don't they start with greedy bankers and the super rich before ordinary people who already pay more than their fair share in taxes?
Everybody expects to pay tax on fuel but since smoking was discouraged to the extent that pubs are closing down at an unprecedented rate and those tobacco and alcohol cash cows no longer finance much of the unnecessary expenditure such as overseas aid to countries with nuclear weapons and space programmes Governments have looked to motorists to make up the difference.
Motorists have become the new 'smokers' and the tax burden on vehicle owners is disproportionate, the Fair Fuel Campaign is our best chance to make Westminster sit up and do what we pay them to do - represent our interests.

 

[Shirker]

It's often said that if the Government lower fuel duty they will have to raise much needed revenue elsewhere which is fine, so why don't they start with greedy bankers and the super rich before ordinary people who already pay more than their fair share in taxes?

If we want to generalise about all bankers and super-rich, the top 10% of earners pay 50% of the UK's taxes so there is a good argument they are already paying their fair share. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8417205.stm

 

[Parksy]

Not quite true Shirker, according to the report that you have linked to when all taxes and excise duties are taken into consideration top earners pay a similar percentage of the total as the rest of us but the percentage of their overall wealth is considerably less.
The average vehicle owner pays a large percentage of their income in fuel costs which is why the FairFuelUK campaign is trying to persuade Parliament lower the disproportionate amount of excise duty and vat on fuel.

 

[RogerL]

Unless you transfer part of the total tax burden onto the wealthy, away from average and the less wealthy, then nothing will change - ie the average motorist won't be any better off because other taxes will have to rise to compensate for the reduction in fuel duty.

 

[Sproket]

Just had this sent...........

Dear Sproket.
The e-petition 'CHEAPER PETROL AND DIESEL, BY ROBERT HALFON MP AND FAIRFUEL UK' signed by you recently reached 125,217 signatures and a response has been made to it.
This e-petition has reached 100,000 signatures. The Government has notified the Backbench Business Committee in the House of Commons, who have scheduled a debate on the matter on 15 November. This e-petition will remain live, and people will be able to continue adding their signatures. In the meantime, we would like to update you on the Government’s current position on the substance of this e-petition. “The Government recognises that the price of petrol has become an increasingly significant part of day-to-day spending. We know this is causing real difficulties in ensuring that motoring remains affordable and people are feeling the pinch. This is why we announced a £2bn package, in the Budget, to support motorists. We cut fuel duty by 1 penny per litre from Budget Day. We cancelled the previous government’s fuel duty escalator which would have increased pump prices by 1 penny above inflation – with further above inflation increases in each of the next three years. The Government also introduced a fair fuel stabiliser so that when oil prices are high, and oil profits are higher, fuel duty will increase by inflation only. We also made sure that there will be no fuel duty rise this year by deferring April’s inflation-only increase to January 2012. Our actions resulted in average pump prices being about 6 pence per litre lower than if we had continued with the previous government’s fuel duty plans. Following the January increase, average pump prices in 2011-12 could still be 2.5 pence per litre less than if we had implemented the escalator. Therefore, a typical Ford Focus driver will be £56 better off this year. And an average haulier will benefit by approximately £1700. This package of support was paid for by increasing tax on North Sea oil companies that benefit from high oil prices. Oil prices peaked in late April. The Governments wants falls in oil prices to be passed onto consumers at petrol stations. Average pump prices have fallen since their peak in May. However, the investigation into suspected infringements of competition law is, in the first instance, a matter for the Office of Fair Trading. Like other taxes, fuel duty plays an important part in supporting public finances. This is a time of real international uncertainty and instability, from which no country can be immune. The crisis in the eurozone and the downgrading of the US credit rating shows why action was necessary. Due to the record Budget deficit that we inherited, the Government has had to set out plans to get public finances back on track. This includes deficit reduction, but also includes measures to support families and businesses such as increasing the personal allowance. Together with the increase this year, the changes to the personal allowance will benefit 25 million taxpayers and take 1.1 million individuals out of tax altogether. Conversely, abandoning the Government’s plan could lead to rising interest rates and falling international confidence, which would undermine the recovery. The cut in fuel duty and scrapping of the fuel duty escalator, together with increases in the personal allowance and cuts in corporation tax will continue to support households, businesses and the economy – while we also deal with the debits we inherited.”
View the response to the e-petition
Thanks,
HM Government e-petitions http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/

 

[RogerL]

That was debated in Parliament on 15th November and changes announced in the Chancellor's Autumn Statement on 29th November, ie the planned increase in duty of 3p/litre in January has been scrapped.
Don't expect any more reductions in fuel taxation because other taxes would have to rise to compensate, giving a net zero effect.

 

[Surfer]

Thanks for the update but it seemed a bit out of daet if you received it recently. If you have a Ford Focus you will be saving £1.07 a week. Hardly breathtaking. To appreciate any real difference a motorist would need to see a reduction of at least £0.10 but that will never happen however if it did it may help stimulate the economy. Pity the motorist has to fund a vareity of government schemes not related to motoring.

 

[RogerL]

Pity the motorist has to fund a vareity of government schemes not related to motoring.

That's no different to workers having to pay income tax to fund a variety of government schemes not related to employment.

 

[xtrailman]

Cheer up everyone, the government would have us believe that inflation has DROPPED this month, to 4.8% i think it said.

Funny isn't it how it can drop, while everything else seems to be increasing?

 

[RogerL]

Cheer up everyone, the government would have us believe that inflation has DROPPED this month, to 4.8% i think it said.
Funny isn't it how it can drop, while everything else seems to be increasing?

The Government simply published the figure - it's the media that thinks that a +4.8% change is a drop.

 

[Steve L]

OMG!!!!
You don't mean to say you believe the political bull s**T.
One thing I have noticed now is how the price of unleaded is dropping by a penny or so, while diesel stagnates or goes up. 12 months ago diesel was only about 4p per litre dearer thus giving a considerable saving to those who changed to oil burners. Now there is a 10 or 11p difference.
In other words the fuel companies are dropping petrol prices so that it is deemed a good move to the car driver as the news papers, news broadcasters and MPs always use the term petrol prices. Meanwhile, they are recooping profits from diesel by keeping the price artificially high.
For example heating oil, which isa refined diesel fuel minus road fuel duty, is currently selling at 57p per litre compared to 61p last month. The heating oil prices are a more direct comparrison as they reflect the actual comodities market price levels.

The government won't do anything about road fuel duty above and beyond a token scrapage of a further 3p duty hike, because they automatically get 85p per litre in fuel duty already. They won't tax the rich because that would be stabbing their own bretherin in the back.

I pushed this point to Leominster's con servative wriggler (oh sorry, Muppet) oh go on then, mp. But got "ejected" from his surgery meeting with the peasants.

 

[RogerL]

The government won't do anything about road fuel duty above and beyond a token scrapage of a further 3p duty hike, because they automatically get 85p per litre in fuel duty already. They won't tax the rich because that would be stabbing their own bretherin in the back.

I pushed this point to Leominster's con servative wriggler (oh sorry, Muppet) oh go on then, mp. But got "ejected" from his surgery meeting with the peasants.

Remember which party introduced the automatic fuel duty escalator - it wasn't Conservative.
There aren't enough rich people in the UK to elect a non-Labour government - but around half the ordinary voters think it's a good idea to get rid of Labour as they've never had policies that were workable in the long-term.
I saw the clip from Tony Blair recently when he promised to abolish "boom & bust" and then gave us 13 years of bust government - all Labour do is abolish the "boom".