How is the raising of fuel duty justifiable?

[BlueSmoke]

No, seriously guys, how is it justified? Every year we are told that there's more cars on the road. Surely this then means that there is more duty being paid into the Treasury.

So why the need to increase the amount every year? The amount they receive is already going up, or am I missing something? I'd like to hear these three tossers get quizzed on punishing the motorist tonight.

Let's see what they have to say.

[aka_kerrly]

The way i see it is MPs claim for all their fuel costs so it has no impact on them directly but it is a good way of generating more cash to then get wasted on poorly thought out ideas/wars/govt incentives etc...

[dougc]

Its an easy and constant revenue stream. From a fund raising point of view (which it is and nothing more) I think its amazing that they don't put it up more. Not that I'd advocate such a thing of course.

[mat205125]

Since when has it needed to be justified? Which of the top three are planning to reduce it, or slow its increase?

[cs02rm0]

The only justification is that they want the money and they get away with it.

[aka_kerrly]

True that, someone recently wrote in another thread that the fuel crisis of 2001 and strikes were when fuel hit 80pence per litre, of which 80% was tax. Then in 2007 we had another round of protests when fuel hit £1 per litre of which 84% of the price is tax.

£1 sounds like a bargain these days!

dave

[die fahrt]

Polo bluemotion, here I come!
No really, going to look at one tomorrow.
34mpg from my 330 isn't as good as it used to be

[off_again]

Got a hire Astra 1.4 at the moment while the RX is at the bodyshop. Its actually kinda nice to have 35+MPG, and even seeing more when you get out of town! The engine is a bit zingy and not that bad, so I could be convinced that maybe smaller is better and cheaper.....

Tempting.

[WOO5IE]

I believe that we also pay Vat on the duty that we pay on fuel.

Is this the only product/item where this is true tax on tax.

Its got got be against some sort of yuman rites

[useyourdellusion]

I think they're investigating it on 'Watchdog' tonight BBC1 8.00pm.

[jbi]

short answer... it's not

[spaceship]

jbi said:

short answer... it's not

Exactly. That was my response as soon as I read the question.

[Twincam16]

Half the problem is with the speculators who moor their tankers offshore and wait for the price to go up before supplying it.

I know it's just making a profit, but it's hardly doing anyone a favour other than a few people in the oil companies.

I'd happily see a law introduced against that kind of speculation. Stalin did similar things with food. Imagine if we had an unexpected drought and the various authorities started witholding drinking water?

Dreadful, economically damaging practice IMO.

[BlueSmoke]

I just wish there was something we could do about it. It's just ridiculous. When £1 sounds like a bargainy ou really know it's gone too far.

[Silvester21]

how come in the budget last month Darling stated that we would see a gradual rise of 3-4p over the next year or two

Since then fuel has rose 3-5p on average....

[dougc]

Silvester21 said:

how come in the budget last month Darling stated that we would see a gradual rise of 3-4p over the next year or two

Since then fuel has rose 3-5p on average....

Darling was referring to the duty. Overall price rises happen for a number of other reasons...