"Fighting back on petrol prices" - Ever truly possible?

[Diabolik]

Before you flame me, this isn't another one of those "This ends NOW" threads.

After seeing this Facebook group attempting to get people to avoid buying petrol for just one day, I was left with a couple of questions. As it currently stands, that group has 270,000+ members which is a considerable amount, so how many would it take to get any real notice or traction? Or will the public never be able to 'fight' the petrol prices because ultimately everyone needs to buy petrol at some point?

I personally don't think any of these action groups will ever have any effect whatsoever.

Thoughts?

[curlie467]

I doubt very much that we will ever be able to force the price of petrol down.

[OwenK]

The majority of the fuel price to us is tax. Maybe if you fought enough they might agree to reduce it - but they'd just have to stick it onto your yearly tax payments somewhere else. Or make more budget cuts and we know how popular those have been. The country is massively in debt - this is not the sort of time the government are going to say "ok, we'll just have less money coming in, no problem", is it?

[OwenK]

Bloody mobile PH and its timeouts.

Edited by OwenK on Monday 14th March 16:24

[rallycross]

It would be great if something was done to 'encourage' the government to reduce its taxation on fuel, for consumers and business.

The treasury just gets more and more fuel tax as prices go up - rip off Britan indeed!

But how to do it?

what would they do in france?

[Greg_D]

rallycross said:

what would they do in france?

Fire up the tractors and head for the capital, slowly...

[craig7584]

that fb group doesnt make any sense, how will they 'lose profit' just because u dont buy on 1st april when you have to 'make sure you have fuel in your car that day' - in other words everyone fills up the day before?!

they really need to do something about it tho, how is it usa and australia can get it so cheap? UK govmnt is desperate for cash and it will see its own citizens forced into debt to get it.

[Vulgar LS2]

Greg_D said:

rallycross said:

what would they do in france?

Fire up the tractors and head for the capital, slowly...

The problem is the british public will not stand up for themselves.

[pilchardthecat]

I think there should be a 100% tax levied on train and bus services to offset the complete removal of fuel duty Also a 1,000,000% tax on sales of the Guardian, oh and George Monbiot should be sold into the white slave trade to provide "intimate services" to the Gibbons at London Zoo.

[Greg_D]

Vulgar LS2 said:

Greg_D said:

rallycross said:

what would they do in france?

Fire up the tractors and head for the capital, slowly...

The problem is the british public will not stand up for themselves.

there will be a point,

i'm not sure when, but there will be one, when this will all reach critical mass.

Look at recent events in the arab world for very pertinent examples.

I was also watching V for Vendetta last night, there are a few aspects of that film that are worryingly apt for modern britain.

[Motorrad]

What service do you want cut for cheaper petrol?

Police?

The NHS?

Schools perhaps?

Personally I could do without all of them as I have private medical insurance, a gun and no kids. I doubt other people will feel the same though.

[dvs_dave]

An index linked fixed sum (say 60p/ltr) on top of the base fuel cost would be a fairer system. It would work to the governments advantage when prices were low, encouraging them to keep it low, and to the consumers when high.

[CraigyMc]

There's no point in protesting this, any more than theres a point in protesting at the sea being wet.

Just get over it.

[hullbilly]

The thing is prices are going up across Europe, in Ireland the prices are heading to 1.70 Euro. The only benefit in europe is that diesel is cheaper by 3-4 cent rather than the other way round...

[pilchardthecat]

hullbilly said:

The only benefit in europe is that diesel is cheaper by 3-4 cent rather than the other way round...

Why is that good?

[Fittster]

Motorrad said:

What service do you want cut for cheaper petrol?

Police?

The NHS?

Schools perhaps?

.

Yes.

[F1GTRUeno]

You would have to get people barracading petrol stations up and down the country (or worse, firebombing them) to stop people from getting petrol.

And it would literally have to be up and down the country.

That'll never happen.

[Sam1990]

How about 'National Fill Up and fk Off Day'?

Everyone agrees to fill up a full tank and do a runner, that would get the message across would it not?




An alternative would be to raise taxes on other luxuries like beer, fags, chocolate etc... I don't mind paying extra for a pint or a pack of fags if it means the government can reduce tax and the cost of fuel. I don't NEED beer and fags at the weekend (questional statement!) but I do need to get to work.

Edited by Sam1990 on Monday 14th March 16:54

[pilchardthecat]

Motorrad said:

What service do you want cut for cheaper petrol?

Police?

The NHS?

Schools perhaps?

Personally I could do without all of them as I have private medical insurance, a gun and no kids. I doubt other people will feel the same though.

Ah, the old more money = better services / less money = worse services theory.

[GreigM]

Motorrad said:

What service do you want cut for cheaper petrol?

Police?

The NHS?

Schools perhaps?

Personally I could do without all of them as I have private medical insurance, a gun and no kids. I doubt other people will feel the same though.

I'm sure there are other areas of massive government waste/spending which could be sacrificed (nuclear submarines, international aid etc), or perhaps do something radical like legalise and tax selected drugs? How about actually tackling and reducing benefit fraud or tax evasion? How about ditching the olympics?

It doesn't have to be "daily mail" headline services...although I believe the fat could realistically be trimmed from them all.