http://www.aaroadwatch.ie/eupetrolprices/
Sadie. with respect.
I don't know, fancy forgetting little old Belgium, which has higher diesel prices than either the UK or Norway.
Indeed the timing of this thread is somewhat ill conceived, what with the Euro being so strong,and the gap between major countries diesel prices being pretty close because of it.
The debate concerning the mythical foreign haulage companies having an advantage over the UK industry,is one of gross hype and propaganda.In truth the vast majority of ones competitors is homebased,and has always been so.
Indeed only a few years back the government slashed road tax prices on HGV vehicle, so that many cars pay more in road tax than vehicles up to 14 tonnes.Which I believe in some cases means our road tax is 7 or 8 times cheaper than the so called mythical competitors from over the waters.
Lets not even talk about insurance, where again we have the advantage there too!
And please do not forget we pay less in income tax that most of the EU major players too.
So whilst booze, diesel, the odd meal out may well be cheaper than here in the UK, their wage packets on the whole are smaller too.
So If you want diesel prices to be the same as our competitors,you really want to ask the general public if they want a 2p hike in income tax, or a 15% pay cut.
Had we joined the Euro at the agreed 1.5 euro's to the pound then we would have amongst the cheapest fuel of our competitors,as fuel would be 20% cheaper.
so really you are comparing apples to pears.