Fuel protests

[srb7677]

We are just coming out of a global pandemic, in which the government paid out astronomical amounts to help people get through. You seriously think they can keep on giving at every turn? The people will have to take some hardship at some point.
How long did you get sitting at home on full pay, propped up by the government?

As a key worker I worked through mlost of the pandemic. The three months I had off at the beginning were on full basic pay from my employer with modest UC top ups amounting to about 350 quid in total, which is a fraction of the tax I paid that year. 

Fuel duty is highly regressive and inherently inflationary since fuel costs add to  the costs of everything. Better to raise the revenue some other way, eg a land value tax. Earned incomes and goods are overtaxed in this country, whilst land and unearned incomes are undertaxed. There is scope for a rebalancing that could include major cuts in fuel duty.

[Barry]

We are just coming out of a global pandemic, in which the government paid out astronomical amounts to help people get through. You seriously think they can keep on giving at every turn? The people will have to take some hardship at some point.
How long did you get sitting at home on full pay, propped up by the government?

SRB, being a supermarket worker and essential to our survival, worked through the lockdowns, as did I in the hospital.

I didn't ask the government to over-react to a deadly virus. I didn't ask them to throw printed money round and crash the economy. I didn't ask for protection from others, as I have an immune system. You see, we are still paying for this, and will continue to be paying for the government's over-reaction.
If only we could know how many lives were saved by the Queen sitting on her own at a funeral with a face covering, whilst the government were parting to Abba music.
Divide the billions by the number of lives saved?  How much does the NHS usually allocate to save a cancer patient or extend their lives by a few months? Was it worth it?
No, because excess deaths are currently running at 1400 per week, and it is nothing to do with Covid. 

[srb7677]

I would say our party has immense talent on the benches waiting patiently for government. When Keir becomes the next Prime Minister. He will dissect the  corrupt elite with panache and restore credibility to our country that has sorely been lacking under the Johnson leadership. Golly. I cannot wait for the next General Election.

Starmer lied to his own members to get elected. That's after doing everything possible to reverse Brexit yet now claiming to be a supporter of it. There is a rather large credibility deficit with Starmer as far as I can see

[Nick]

The price of oil per barrell in US dollars is less now than what it was in 2008. The price at the pump is higher .
The pound has weakened significantly against the dollar , meaning each barrell of crude oil is more expensive for us in the UK.
A large part of the problem is a conservative government that is totally out of control and taxing our country to death.
45% of the price at the pump is conservative taxes , and V.A.T is running at 20%.
Under the last labour government in 2008 , both fuel duty per litre and V.A.T (17.5%) was less.
Our country needs to eject this high taxation conservative government from power , with its assorted scandals and corrupt ministers ,and install a Labour government back into power.

The price of oil isn't less than 2008, it's more. It's also gone up by 2.5 time during Covid. The price of electricity which refineries use in massive amounts is going through the roof, so crude prices are only a small part. VAT was due to be 18% next year, that plan had to be scrapped cause of Covid. 

[Nick]

There is actually a lot the government can do. Nearly half of what we pay at the pump is tax. The government could suspend fuel duty until the price comes down, which would also reduce costs for businesses and reduce the upward pressure on inflation.

If necessary some other means of rasing the revenue that is less inherently inflationary and regressive should be found.

We are just coming out of a global pandemic, in which the government paid out astronomical amounts to help people get through. You seriously think they can keep on giving at every turn? The people will have to take some hardship at some point. 
How long did you get sitting at home on full pay, propped up by the government?

[patman post]

Not really. The National debt costs less than the NHS to fund.

But it's still money spent on servicing debts equivalent to over 100% of GDP, rather than mostly directly funding investment.

And the UK economy is nowhere near as dynamic as that of the US, for supporting a long term deficit.

Seems to me rather like funding the building of a house by taking out an individual loan for each brick as it's purchased and laid, while also paying the interest on all the preceding loans for bricks, without a dependable source of other funds...

[T00ts]

I would say our party has immense talent on the benches waiting patiently for government. When Keir becomes the next Prime Minister. He will dissect the  corrupt elite with panache and restore credibility to our country that has sorely been lacking under the Johnson leadership. Golly. I cannot wait for the next General Election.

It's nice to welcome another humorist to the Forum!  

[Borchester]

That's the trillion dollar conundrum, the UK has taken on such great debts, it is unlikely to pay them off for many years. And the pound's falling value exacerbates the problem and causes the GBP to fall further.

Add in the rising value of the US dollar, and oil costs increase, possibly soon to drive up fuel oil prices way above what removing all UK tax and duties would achieve.

Until the UK can get its coffers filling again, any reduction in tax-take is a gamble, and needs inspired financial minds (and luck) to plan the route ahead...

Not really. The National debt costs less than the NHS to fund.

[Sean]

Certainly not on the opposition benches! 

I would say our party has immense talent on the benches waiting patiently for government. When Keir becomes the next Prime Minister. He will dissect the  corrupt elite with panache and restore credibility to our country that has sorely been lacking under the Johnson leadership. Golly. I cannot wait for the next General Election.

[T00ts]

Where pray , can these minds be found in the current shambles of this tory government?

Certainly not on the opposition benches!   

[Sean]

 and needs inspired financial minds (and luck) to plan the route ahead...

Where pray , can these minds be found in the current shambles of this tory government?

[patman post]

There is actually a lot the government can do. Nearly half of what we pay at the pump is tax. The government could suspend fuel duty until the price comes down, which would also reduce costs for businesses and reduce the upward pressure on inflation.

[highlight]If necessary some other means of rasing the revenue that is less inherently inflationary and regressive should be found. [/highlight]

That's the trillion dollar conundrum, the UK has taken on such great debts, it is unlikely to pay them off for many years. And the pound's falling value exacerbates the problem and causes the GBP to fall further.

Add in the rising value of the US dollar, and oil costs increase, possibly soon to drive up fuel oil prices way above what removing all UK tax and duties would achieve.

Until the UK can get its coffers filling again, any reduction in tax-take is a gamble, and needs inspired financial minds (and luck) to plan the route ahead...

[Sean]

The Wall Street Journal gave a devastating "critique" only yesterday of "Johnson Economics" saying the United Kingdom is now in the grip of an inflation crises that Johnson has made worse at every single turn.
It criticised his Green Taxes . Net zero carbon ambitions. National Insurance increase. Freezing personal income tax brackets. Refusal to cut green taxes and V.A.T on energy and fuel. Many many more examples , but the upshot was he made the cost of living crises far far worse than it needed to be. Sunak also has to shoulder a large share of the blame.

[Sean]

Speak to who? They're not speaking to me I can assure you. Don't think they are speaking to the government either, what do they expect them to do when the global price of oil is going up?

The price of oil per barrell in US dollars is less now than what it was in 2008. The price at the pump is higher .
The pound has weakened significantly against the dollar , meaning each barrell of crude oil is more expensive for us in the UK.
A large part of the problem is a conservative government that is totally out of control and taxing our country to death.
45% of the price at the pump is conservative taxes , and V.A.T is running at 20%.
Under the last labour government in 2008 , both fuel duty per litre and V.A.T (17.5%) was less.
Our country needs to eject this high taxation conservative government from power , with its assorted scandals and corrupt ministers ,and install a Labour government back into power.

[srb7677]

Speak to who? They're not speaking to me I can assure you. Don't think they are speaking to the government either, what do they expect them to do when the global price of oil is going up?

There is actually a lot the government can do. Nearly half of what we pay at the pump is tax. The government could suspend fuel duty until the price comes down, which would also reduce costs for businesses and reduce the upward pressure on inflation.

If necessary some other means of rasing the revenue that is less inherently inflationary and regressive should be found.