'I told you this was coming - but I didn't think it would happen with quite such speed. This week petrol retailers reported the 'steepest and fastest' rise in wholesale diesel prices ever seen. And all due to unfolding events in the Persian Gulf. Iran's belligerence has triggered a 4.5p a litre increase in wholesale diesel prices between December and January. Speculators have hiked up the price of crude sending UK diesel towards the record 143p peak of May last year. Industry analysts say that say it could even hit 145p a litre by the end of Jan. The sharp price rise took the whole industry by surprise and forecourts haven't even had time to adjust their prices because of the holiday trading interruption. But given the thin margins upon which most petrol stations operate, they'll have no choice put pass the cost on to you and me.
For the UK, this is not good news, given that 80% of everything is carried by diesel trucks. That means more expensive food and more pressure on inflation figures and family incomes. Just as well then, that FairFuel helped sink the Treasury's proposed January duty rise, which in hindsight would have been absolute suicide for our economy. And if you've got a petrol motor things are equally grim. The average cost of unleaded is currently 132.3p per litre and that looks set to hit as much as 137p later in the year. At the risk of repeating myself, our little fuel duty lobby group has headed off a financial disaster. Without your sterling support, 200,000 signatures and our relentless pressure on the government to hold back on a series of fuel tax rises in 2011, UK diesel would now be an excruciatingly painful 155p a litre. The financial facts of our efforts over the last year speak for themselves. FairFuel has saved, (and will continue to save) this country hundreds of millions of pounds in needless tax and transport costs. Now, more than ever we need your continued support. The battle for affordable fuel has only just begun and FairFuel is the only gladiator in town. George Osborne wants another duty rise later this year. I'm determined that's not going to happen...........'
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ADD YOUR OWN COMMENTS BELOW THIS POST. THEY ARE VERY WELCOME
[ posted by Ben, January 12, 2012 15:02 ]
So, apart from these blog comments, what are FFUK actually doing to combat these extortionate rises? We've seen precious little action since the duty increases were staved off, and in the meantime, fuel prices continue to soar - WE NEED A REDUCTION, NOW!
FFUK needs to be continually pushing to keep the campaign front and centre in the mind of the people: we need to make the politicians fear the weight of public opinion with FFUK guiding it, to make them fear that should FFUK call for direct action (which I am NOT mandating, by the way), there will be an immediate and sizable response from the electorate.
Until they are made to live in fear that they will lose their power and all that goes with it, the politicians and speculators will not give a damn about the ordinary people. The public are fed up, but they need a continually visible presence to guide their efforts - this is what FFUK must do now.
[ posted by Dom, January 12, 2012 15:54 ]
It would be nice to get an idea of what FFUK are actually going to DO about this. Action, not words.
I think we have been fairly supportive of the dialogue campaign and look where it's got us. Prices still up from where they were. All this talking has achieved nothing except higher prices.
The time for talk has gone I feel. What we need now is a carefully orchestrated plan of action to cause financial inconvenience to the exchequer so I'll start the ball rolling. I've just accepted a job in Dubai so UK PLC is now 3 grand a month worse off in taxes once we go in March. Anyone else feel the same way ?
Cameron is no better than Brown, spineless and a barefaced liar. The Country's wrecked, nothing left for decent ordinary working folks.
[ posted by Andy Jackson, January 12, 2012 17:52 ]
The government should reduce the tax due of fuel to compensate for this otherwise we will have even more unemployment and people who work in transport will just chuck in the towel
These rises just eat away at any profit or income that people are earning and eventually, it will be more beneficial to pack up work and go on benifits like a quarter of the population are doing.
I run a small tours and transfers business and people will just not pay the increases needed to cover the costs. I for one will be changing my occupation.
[ posted by Gee, January 12, 2012 17:54 ]
I own a small business in the catering industry and am deeply concerned at this news, I am already absorbing the rise in food prices from the 1st of Jan, a 15% rise in some bread prices, 30% in fresh produce and 73% in some confectionery products. Utility bills are already astronomical and my weekly petrol cost is currently £80 per week. I also know that I'm facing a 3.5% rise in council tax come April. I am forming the opinion that I will be better off closing down my business which will mean the loss of an income to 3 households (myself and 2 employees) as a rise in fuel costs will ripple to all sectors of my costs and income stream. A very sad situation, but unsustainable to think that there is a boundless pot of cash in the working class pockets.
[ posted by Russell Smith, January 12, 2012 20:10 ]
In sleaford lincs we have diesel at 145.9 this week, insanity!
[ posted by David Britten, January 12, 2012 22:19 ]
There can be no longer any doubt, as Jeremy Clarkson once famously remarked; "This country is run by morons". Unfortunately, there is nothing that our so-called democracy provides that we could use to get rid of them, and we don't have the right to shoot the bastards either.
[ posted by alan broomhead, January 24, 2012 12:46 ]
i was under the impression that our government
leaders were highly intelligent men,but it seems
not,surely they are not so stupid or naive to think or know that these recent increases have put
everything else up in price.where is their common
sense? but these people are totaly out of touch
with ordinary people,because they can allways
afford prices however they increase.this country is getting where only the very rich will be able
to afford to live here.
[ posted by Peter Jackson, January 25, 2012 14:38 ]
I think it is time the FairFuel campaign put most of it's attention to the ridiculous overpricing of Diesel in the UK. In all other countries in Europe diesel is cheaper than petrol, only in the UK is it dearer and this is due only to the goverments higher tax on what is the greener fuel.
Let's have some real campaign effort to bring our diesel prices in line with the rest of Europe.
[ posted by John Buttress, February 01, 2012 14:23 ]
There needs to be another mass protest, much more widespread than the one in 2000. People then were angry that fuel was over 80p per litre. Today it's pushing double that.
[ posted by John Buttress, February 01, 2012 14:26 ]
Oh, and can somebody in charge of this website please increase the font size of the comments text. Thanks.