Let's be innovative: Reduce fuel duty by 20p
Discussion
F93 said:
Traffic increases
Wouldn't the reverse affect of that be that traffic decreases as fuel duty / costs rise? (Which they haven't, long term).The biggest affect would be that everyone who spent £7k swapping their petrol mondeo for a diesel Fiesta would need a little bit longer to make up the extra outlay, otherwise... not much would change would it?
ringram said:
Up is best. Get the deficit down faster. Means tax rates can drop sooner rather than later. Plus hopefully less fiesta's on the road.
Total tax take wont change much so it doesn't matter how the components are made up. More fuel tax and less income tax or vica versa.
Can you spot the obvious flaw there?Total tax take wont change much so it doesn't matter how the components are made up. More fuel tax and less income tax or vica versa.
Overall taxation hardly ever goes down - it is pretty much on a constant, slow, upward creep for most people.
I wouldn't mind a year of austerity through increased taxation if we could trust the government to chop it back as promised.
Can't see how traffic will increase if the cost of fuel goes down. Most people paying for fuel are using it to go from A to B, which they need to do regardless of the cost, so cheaper fuel just means they have more disposable income. The counter argument would be that traffic decreases as fuel goes up, but I don't think that holds either, otherwise we'd be seeing much less on the roads now compared to (for example) when Labour came to power in 1997, when I think fuel was about 65ppl or so? Congestion levels have only ever gone up since then haven't they? Anyway, say we got a 20p cut in excise duty, they'd need to put in on something else to plug the gap, so expect NI or income taxes would rise, or more things would become VAT rated.
I have no idea what a "fair" price for fuel is, but do find it weird that people will pay so much for other things and not consider THEM expensive. Cup of coffee in Costa or Starbucks is what, £2.50 or so? The per litre cost is far higher than fuel, even accounting for all the tax and duty, yet nobody is blockading them. Not saying I agree with the current fuel prices, just find it a bit odd.
I have no idea what a "fair" price for fuel is, but do find it weird that people will pay so much for other things and not consider THEM expensive. Cup of coffee in Costa or Starbucks is what, £2.50 or so? The per litre cost is far higher than fuel, even accounting for all the tax and duty, yet nobody is blockading them. Not saying I agree with the current fuel prices, just find it a bit odd.
Nick_F said:
Folk for whom the cost of fuel is genuinely significant don't spend a lot of time in Costa or Starbucks - they'll have a cup of instant when they get home.
I take a flask and have a travel kettle. As a courier I can all too easily spend the larger part of £300 a week on fuel. Our rates don't go up, the costs do, lots of us are downsizing vans and wondering how we're going to keep making a living.I won't drive more if the fuel costs less, I'll be able to pay my bills more easily and save a bit more too!
I think it would help greatly if they reduced the cost of fuel for HGV's.
Unfortunately, hitting the HGV's kills everything else downstream as prices for everything else goes up accordingly. Thus we get hit twice although I'm sure that's the point so the government gets paid twice over.
Unfortunately, hitting the HGV's kills everything else downstream as prices for everything else goes up accordingly. Thus we get hit twice although I'm sure that's the point so the government gets paid twice over.
Six Fiend said:
Nick_F said:
Folk for whom the cost of fuel is genuinely significant don't spend a lot of time in Costa or Starbucks - they'll have a cup of instant when they get home.
I take a flask and have a travel kettle. As a courier I can all too easily spend the larger part of £300 a week on fuel. Our rates don't go up, the costs do, lots of us are downsizing vans and wondering how we're going to keep making a living.I won't drive more if the fuel costs less, I'll be able to pay my bills more easily and save a bit more too!
Fatman2 said:
I think it would help greatly if they reduced the cost of fuel for HGV's.
Unfortunately, hitting the HGV's kills everything else downstream as prices for everything else goes up accordingly. Thus we get hit twice although I'm sure that's the point so the government gets paid twice over.
Not sure that's workable - and if they introduced a concession for HGVs, lots of other essential business users would also want it.Unfortunately, hitting the HGV's kills everything else downstream as prices for everything else goes up accordingly. Thus we get hit twice although I'm sure that's the point so the government gets paid twice over.
Don't HGV owners already claim back the VAT element anyway?
I manage a site that runs seven vans. In one month I will paye out about £3500 in fuel and almost 20k miles. These increases hurt, really hurt. I can see a future not too far away where I end up having to possibly down size my business because these costs are going up. Such a shame having grown my business for the last two years. This is a cost I can do little to control myself other than mitigating any wasted journeys and running fuel efficient vehicles.
marsred said:
F93 said:
Traffic increases
Wouldn't the reverse affect of that be that traffic decreases as fuel duty / costs rise? (Which they haven't, long term).The biggest affect would be that everyone who spent £7k swapping their petrol mondeo for a diesel Fiesta would need a little bit longer to make up the extra outlay, otherwise... not much would change would it?
oyster said:
alfabadass said:
How will this effect the UK?
FAILoyster said:
marsred said:
F93 said:
Traffic increases
Wouldn't the reverse affect of that be that traffic decreases as fuel duty / costs rise? (Which they haven't, long term).The biggest affect would be that everyone who spent £7k swapping their petrol mondeo for a diesel Fiesta would need a little bit longer to make up the extra outlay, otherwise... not much would change would it?
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