I have just heard from petrolprices.com that there is a strike planned against the frankly rediculous price of fuel. Action is stated to be starting this saturday (15th December).

So what do we all think here? I say about time. Labours taxation, taxation, taxation needs to be stopped. I hope we will capitalise here and support the call for lower fuel prices. The current prices are hurting industry and are out of order.

Protests? All well and good, but there needs to be more to them than demanding lower fuel prices or the Government will just play the pollution card and say "it hurts but it's needed".

If fuel duty were more precisely targeted at public transport solutions and getting freight off the roads, I would not be that concerned. The problem is pushing people into a corner, by over-pricing, with no alternative will just cause strife. It will hurt individuals and help no one, another example of ill-thought out strategy.

Any protest needs to say more than 'I don't like this and I'm only protesting because it hurts me personally'. A statement demanding better accountability of fuel duty, and how it is spent, may make them think more seriously in the long run.

I believe this is a way of gauging the publics response before firther action if needed. If you remember the 2000 blockades cetainly had the desired effect and Mr Brown froze fuel duty. I Believe Italy is currently in the grip of a blockade.

I think its terrible that it comes to this. Mr Brown should lsten to people and industry. Its in no ones interest that the duty continues to rise at this rate. I think a demand for lower duty is the right action to take. Also i would like to see conservative call for lower duty. (not blockades) We pay more than most for fuel and it is uncalled for. I think a price of 80p per litre is fair but i know this is unrealistic at best. I think a price at around 90p a litre would be at least closer to being fair.

Are we not part of Europe? Surely we should all pay the same.

Our businesses should be able to compete on a level playing field.

The fact is the only people this hurts is the public and the independant lorry drivers. At the end of the day business always pass costs on to the consumer and we will continue to see prices rise. How then does this encourage businesses to stop using trucks and use other transport?

Also, what about distribution companies that have to use trucks to trunk goods around the country when there is no viable alternative? I point directly to the mails industry, there are no other feasible alternatives other than using aircraft and these would only move them so far around the country and i'm sure with the hatred of aircraft being a main global warming policy (whilst they try to increase biofuel production, hmmmm) would try to stop them using this. So how will we transfer goods around the country? Maybe broon can tell us that

They have private bunkering facilities.

Who do?

Distribution companies, Royal Mail, large hauliers, utilities.

Royal Mail do not own bunkering facilities. Not sure what that has to do with transporgting around the country? Royal mail moves all mails through vehicle haulage and very small amounts go by train / boat etc

On what basis is petrol too expensive? Seems about right to me, maybe a little cheap considering emissions, noise pollution, massive obesity, running out of oil, 4000 direct deaths a year, Jeremy Clarkson etc

These were your words, Posh. I simply said that such companies have (own or access to) private bunkering facilities (i.e. not for resale), therefore their operations are unlikely to be affected unless the strike goes on for some time.

DG, I quite agree. Ex-refinery fuel prices are still reasonable.

Yes but what for? To pay for the police forces right to strike for pay increases despite being the least effective in the civilised world. To pay for increases in our EU contributions given unconditionally by the Labout government. To pay for pensions denied to private sector workers who if they strike face the fact that customers will go elsewhere. Can we refuse to pay for council taxes even when the service has been halved?
It seems right equals might more than any time in the last century. The only difference is that now might is in the hands of a communist run leadership differing only the in the label. One in which everyone is equal except the communist leadership and their administrative cronies, sorry I should have said new labour but there's no difference now.
Public workers should not be allowed to strike until we are allowed to refuse to pay for their services if we can find a cheaper source.
If energy itself whether emissions or supply considerations were the issue each sector such as office buildings or transport could be set a target and exempted from government interference if it does better in meeting it than the public sector does in meeting theirs.

[/quote] running out of oil, 4000 direct deaths a year, Jeremy Clarkson etc [quote]

there's oil in Iran, Iraq and quite a lot in Alaska / Canada.

4,000 direct deaths are down to irresponsible drivers (drunk, high, careless etc) - its their drivers that are the problem not the vehicle itself

yorker i don't really understand your point on bunkering facilities. I am assuming that you mean bunkering facilities to store goods in? If it is then this is not feasible for the Royal Mail who would be on the end of massive fines from the regulator as would other mails companies for not fulfilling their obligations.

If not, please can you explain what you mean?

Fuel bunkering - own or third-party tanks at key locations.

i'm sorry Dave i couldn't disagree more. Fuel is stupidly over priced. If all this revenue was spent on finding alternatives then i wouldn't be so unhappy about the situation but this is in effect a stealth tax on each household.

Prices must fall! Mr Brown is hurting the UK economy and haulage industry. Also its not like you can say public transport is either of good quality or cheap. I would like see a significant fall in duty we don't want blockades like those curently in italy and as seen in 2000 here. But if labour wont listen they mst be made to listen. Lets see what happens this saturday, i hope that the public will be in full support here in order to see cheaper fuel and prices on goods that require haulage.

agreed - the cost of fuel tends to increase the inflation rate which tends to increase interest rates which then tends to increase inflation which means interest rates need to be raised to tame inflation ..... etc etc etc.

Quite frankly a lot of this "green" stuff shows how green we all are.

"Green" in the sense that we appear to accept £5 a gallon as 'good' as it means we all drive 5 times less than we would have otherwise done has it cost £1 a gallon.

I expect that most people drive to work, then home again, the car sits in the drive the rest of the time apart from a trip to Tescos on the weekend ... notwithstanding a bit of social stuff in the evenings and / or ferrying the kids to clubs / friends / whatever.

How one can do less than this outside a city with transport that works (and there are precious few of those) is beyond me !

I really do not believe that 100s of towns have 100s of "Waynes and Traceys" - or anyone else for that matter - cruising around town for hours and hours every day.

To believe the tax it more, use it less, argument is clearly rather 'green'.

Ah I get you, sorry blond moment.

What happens when the fuel runs out? Its not the blockades I am talking about its the prices that these companies have to pay that drive consumer prices up apart from in industries where the price of goods are priced by a regulator and not by the businesses hence the reason I mentioned the mails industry.

There are no viable alternatives to trunk this mail around and these businesses are forced to absorb the costs. Whilst companies can use financial instruments to reduce the risk around the volatility of the fuel in much the same way as currency this doesn't affect the prices much.

I think put simply the government are ripping us off here. I do think that this is just a way of increasing the tax burden. If it were a green tax the money would be used in a way to aid to solution of finding a green fuel.

This government is diabolical, Mr Brown is happy to sign away power to Brussels the only good thing to come out of europe would be to comply with its prices on fuel. Mr Cameron what do you think about this argument? would you reduce the fuel duty?

chrisbarber wrote:

How much should it cost and why?


No, it's a tax on mileage.


Yeah cos we all want massive juggernauts on our roads.


Which is only indirectly related.


Nope, all the protagonists should be arrested and put on trial, their vehicles impounded.