Fuel Prices

[Harby]

As most people know now fuel is going to be going over the pound barrier per litre, I was just wondering why we havent had the same uproar as we had when it was less than 80 pence per litre a couple of years back and all the haulage companies blocked everyone from delivering fuel.
These price increases are going to hurt everyone not just people who drive cars.Fair enough the cost of crude oil has gone up but we all know the main winners of this is the government how much longer can they keep taking there V.A.T and tax on this before we have another riot.
Any thoughts?

[ericstoner]

Me thinks we've been beaten into submission. and seem to let the government get away with anything.
I was gonna list examples but there to meny to list.

[Ironside]

we havent had the same uproar as the government has now got laws in place to stop the blockades the oil compaines also have more control of their drivers and could force them out

the fact that oil is now nearly 80$ a barrel where as 2 years ago it was only 35$ a barrel also mean that people are more realistic we also know if the government cut the taxes on oil and therefore the price they would claim the tax back somewhere else

[Harby]

Good point Ironside but how many litres of fuel do you get out of a barrell. We all know the main expense is tax and vat. I looked at and old fuel receipt in February and it was 81.9p a litre now it is 98.9p per litre.

[Ironside]

the main cost of a litre of petrol in this country is tax you just need to look at the cost of petrol in the usa to see that

the fact the cost of petrol in last 2 years has gone up over 50% in the usa and under 25% in the uk is also showing that we are not getting ripped off by the oil industry at present the major cost is tax and the only way we can get cheaper petrol is by cutting the tax at which point the government will increase a tax elsewhere

[jammer]

VAT should be banned full stop.

There are no decent economic arguments for such a regressive tax.

[TightEnd]

VAT should be banned full stop.

There are no decent economic arguments for such a regressive tax.

You've just got an economist here (B.A (Hons), PhD, MBA) very excited. This doesn't happen too often

I'm going for a lie down for half an hour in case I decide to treat you to a quick discourse on relative elasticities of the demand for oil around the woirld.

[tikay]

What a strange piece of logic Chesney!

1) We are obliged to have VAT by EEC rules.

2) If we scrapped VAT, the Government would simply claw back the lost revenue by imposing greater or more taxes elsewhere.

The total Taxation requirement is what it is - it has to come from somewhere. How else would we subsidise the colonies?

[TightEnd]

 How else would we subsidise the colonies?

any room in the Anderson shelter tikay?

[tikay]

Hush now T-E, I think I've got it through.......

[Maroon]

Ooohh politics, I love it.  Let's throw religion into the mix and all fall out with each other.  

Only thing more likely to cause an argument is the mother-in-law coming to stay at Christmas.  

[Maroon]

Burn 'em!! Burn 'em!!

[tikay]

No, not politics Maroon, just plain economics.

If you scrap VAT, the money will have to come from additional taxes elsewhere.

[RED-DOG]

Nothing at all wrong with arguing, IE holding opposing views,done right it can be fun

Just don't get snotty about it

[Maroon]

Tikay and Red-Dog,  I agree whole heartedly but fear that any time politics/economics are discussed in a public forum there will be ill feeling which I truly do not wish for this great forum.