If its any comfort the Americans are also getting anxious about
fuel. In Los Angeles petrol is close to the unthinkable $5.00 a gallon mark.
Laughable for us I know, but for Billy Bob in his 9 mpg V8 pick up this is the
end of his world. They're suffering from the same uncontrollable market forces
as we are. The closure of several US refineries has restricted supply, European
cold weather has spiked crude prices and the usual dark forces of opportunist
speculators have done the rest.
But unlike the UK, American politicians are shouting loud and every Presidential hopeful and then some is using fuel price management as a platform for election. US analysts agree with me that the road ahead looks increasingly expensive for everybody and oil is set soar in price. They're clamouring into an investigation into market manipulation by speculators and the news anchors are warning that climbing fuel prices could cost the American economy up to $50 billion in increased costs and cause needless hardship to the already struggling US consumer.
Come and ask your local politician on March 7 to cut fuel duty for the sake of the UK economy
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ADD YOUR OWN COMMENTS BELOW THIS POST. THEY ARE VERY WELCOME
[ posted by Barry, February 24, 2012 17:35 ]
Well blow me down and tickle me with a feather (avoiding stronger words to that effect).
The US got balls and morals if thats the direction they are going in..
Though I cant see it sitting well as this is the kind of place that to win votes and campaign funding promises the likes of Hedge Fund owners/dealers a more then lucrative tax break in exchange for said funding.
No doubt these actions will not sit well with many that would normally support them but maybe this really is the best example of how heavy a burden fuel prices are that they would have to drop typical expected practices.
Wonder if the UK rather then pandering and hushing us will follow suit??? its not like our government have not received enough outcry's about it....
[ posted by William Baker, February 24, 2012 20:01 ]
Our government use the motorist as a cash cow to pay for their pie in the sky schemes they treat us the voters with contempt if they had to fund their own transport they would soon jump on the bandwagon the difference between here and the USA is that their politicians actually take note of what the electorate tell them if they ignored the voters like our politicians do come election time they would be voted out of office how we vote in the same people time after time i do not know it tells you something about us and our political system that we do maybe a bit more open democracy and a change of personnel will do the trick at the moment the only difference between the parties is do you like Pepsi or Coke there is not one of them that will stand up and be counted on this issue as long as the receipts keep rolling in maybe we the motorists should go on strike?
[ posted by Fed up of the pathetic Treasury!, February 25, 2012 12:17 ]
Seems as if Gideon Osborne has made his mind up already, according to the Telegraph. I can't post the URL because the comment bit won't let me but Google it.
Well done on ending your political career Osborne, your second OWN GOAL after deciding to increase VAT to 20%. We all thought his predecessor Darling and his anti-motorist agenda: 2p rise at almost every budget and reintroducing the escalator was bad enough. For the treasury to insist prices have been "stable for some time" just proves how far in the sand their heads are. Prices have been FAR TOO HIGH for a long time, fuel duty is disgustingly high, VAT on top too. We are playing more in tax for 1 litre now then we were for 1 litre of fuel this time three years ago. The situation in Iran combined with greedy speculators has pushed the oil price up nearly $10 in little over a week, it's now $125 per barrel and showing no signs of easing up. We could be looking at the record getting broken in WEEKS.
And they say we need to tackle inflation and get the economy moving. The treasury's position is causing utter STALEMATE, don't they know ECONOMIES OF SCALE? It's simple A-Level business studies, you charge too much for something, people buy less. Cut the price, and more people will buy. As that meerkat would say, SIMPLES! As much as the likes of the RHA pushing for a 5p cut, I don't think that's enough, a huge overhaul of tax on fuel needs to be addressed, the double taxation of duty and VAT needs to be removed. If anything inflation is going to get higher, and we'll see Mervyn King getting wheeled out in front of everyone saying "Nope we are still nowhere near the 2% target", repeat ad nauseum. No money to cut duty?
I have a great fear that FairFuel Day isn't going to do enough. I am trying to get some time off work to be able to attend the day, but we really need to be lobbying in all areas of the UK, not just London, and as much as FairFuel distance themselves from protest action (just like 2000), I'm afraid that it seems to be the only option that can do something. Mad to think that back in 2000 we were all blockading over 80p per litre, yes, 80p, if only we had that price now. Three years ago we were on 82p per litre. I hope the US does do something, and their influence could do something on a global scale. I was there six months ago and the locals were shocked when I said their $3.60 per US gallon was "cheap", they thought I was being ridiculous, until I told them we paid in the region of nearly $9 per US gallon, of which 70% was tax. Let's just say they were more shocked and said if "gas" rose over $4 they would be blockading the streets.
Why aren't we doing likewise?
[ posted by June Taylor, March 03, 2012 16:10 ]
This is the reply from my MP.
Thank you for your recent correspondence.
My office has now written to the relevant department and we shall let you know as soon as we receive a response.
Best wishes,
John Pugh MP
Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Southport
I will let you know if I gat an update.