bernmc

Hooray for those lorry drivers involved in the fuel blockade. Miserable B4st4rd5 in the government and their fuel tax. Reckon theire next step should be to park on the M25 and the M6 at Birmingham. Couple of hours of that and it'd be all over.

I've just been back to my jungle home to South Africa, and they're moaning about paying 30p/litre! *sigh*

Chip

Totally agree. The government blames everyone bar itself. The price of oil is the same now as 10 years ago when it was about £2 a gallon so that excuse is pretty thin. The sooner this bunch of arrogant , patronising idiots gets voted out the better.
Chip

BarryK

Oh no, the scaremongering is working. Fools are queuing round the block to fill up!!

They just don't get it do they?

bernmc

Well, the more scared people out there that queue, the more the bloody government will take notice. Think we should go door to door spreading vicious rumour!

One of the BP stations here in Nuneaton has closed this morning - sucked dry!

Fat Bob

Waste of time if you ask me. The government needs a certain amount of revenue each year. If they don't get it from fuel they WILL get it elsewhere. - which will probably bring more moans

Plus if fuel price goes down, we will yet get more trucks on the roads I'm sure.

Bob

CC

Bob, this country survived ten years ago when fuel tax was nowhere near as high and income tax etc was at a similar rate. All of this EXTRA tax is swelling the governments coffers and/or being wasted.....instead of charging the motorist for their inefficiencies, why don't they clean up their own act instead? Why load it all on to us? This totally unfair tax affects others to point of almost losing their jobs whilst completely missing others.

You say it won't work - the protests in France HAVE secured a decrease in fuel price.

More trucks on the road? I don't think anyone will go and buy a truck because petrol or diesel is cheaper. Will you? These vehicles are a necessity to these men and women, not a leisure activity. It doesn't matter what someone drives, if they pay road tax, they have just as much right as anyone else to use public roads. If you are having a dig at how some truck drivers drive, then thats nothing to so with the concept here is it?
The price of fuel obviously does not effect you, you're a lucky man. But please spare a thought for those who are not so lucky, whose jobs and income are under threat, and those who simply can't afford to drive somewhere in their cars.

Neil Smalley

No unleaded in Stevenage in the main chains
Esso,shell and BP! Excellent!!

Loads of SUL left though, Even better!!

Chris L

I hate having to praise the French ( ), but the direct action does seem to have more affect - good luck to them.

Bernmc - if they blocked the M25 and the M6 at Birmingham would anyone actually notice any difference?

[This message has been edited by Chris L (edited 10 September 2000).]

bernmc

You cheeky boy. The British Transport System is a shining example to the rest of the world. Many people are deeply envious of our roads. Only the other day someone said to me 'I am deeply envious of your roads'. My father fought in the war you know.

Chris L

Fat Bob

CC - Sorry mate, I would love everyone to have a job they enjoy and be paid a fair days wage for a fair days work. I still think more goods should go by an improved rail service.

If transport is so expensive why is stuff hardy ever produced and serviced locally anymore? - It's because transport is too cheap! - I agree it is unfair though when our guys have to compete against cheaper foriegn competition - so that's a point in their favour I suppose. If they go out of business we'll just have all the foriegn wagon drivers over here. - It's abit like when our government made agreements that put all our fishermen out of business I s'pose

Nearly talked myself into agreeing with you

Bob

Blow Dog

Screw labour...

For those that voted them in, I hope you are happy...I cant remember Labour ever doing any good for GB.

[This message has been edited by Blow Dog (edited 10 September 2000).]

bernmc

Yeah! What have the Romans ever done for us?

Mr.Cookie

Just like to say a big pat on the back for guys and girls responsible even if it does mean bicycle by then end of the week.

Simon

CharlieWhiskey

I can't remember the tories being any better!

Nick

After the misconcieved & ineffective "dump the pump" thingy, blockading the refineries is an excellent idea.

Any idea's how we can show our support without being thrown in jail?

Maybe all turn up in convoy & give the troops a Big Mac each?

Sith

I am not going to get involved in a political debate, but the Tories were not making me pay 88.4p per litre for SUL. 10p more than UL. (yes I know they started the fuel price escalator, but I think they are suprised.) They were not making me pay more road tax for a 2L Turbo which only gets used at the f*cking weekends. I commute by train and pollute less than a 1.6 which gets used every damn day, but I'm still used a damn cash cow.

If any wants to see my reply pop over to 22B bbs. I had the hump when I wrote it. They have a v similar thread there.

Oh well I did get political.

Blood boiling, veins bulging, you won't like me when I'm mad.


Forgot to add, I hope the truckers have success, unlike our other industries.

[This message has been edited by Sith (edited 10 September 2000).]

KenG

I'll just throw in a couple of Francs worth. In France the revenue collect most of the cash by direct taxation, here its mainly indirect, so reducing fuel taxation does not hit their government as hard. Cheaper fuel here could mean higher personal taxation - which do you prefer?

Ken

PS: Keep politics off here. Flying your party political colours is the quickest way to make enemies.

Blow Dog

tories never screwed the motorist

Hos

iTrader: (1)

Well done to those men too! Keep up the good work

PS- Can somebody tell them just not to do it in the Oxford area

Blow Dog

THE BARSTEWARDS!!!!!!!

EvilBevel

Glad to see you guys are keeping politics off this board

Funny that all is being projected on the UK government, while every country, EU or not, has the same problem.

Agreed, fuel taxes are insane, but for the exploding pricing you should look at a) the oil companies and b) good old US of A

There is a *surplus* of 2 million barrels of crude oil a day, yet there is a serious shortage of refined products. Mmhhh, wonder who refines oil Zeven sisters ring a bell ?

Economy good / more people buy cars / more transport / more consumption / bigger demand / higher prices / inflation / higher dollar / weaker EU market. Wonder who benefits most from that.

Theo [could be wrong though ]

MorayMackenzie

Chris L,

There is always the roman road system... but apart from that?

Crucifiction?

Moray

CC

Thee - exploding price? Crude oil costs roughly the same as it did ten years ago in real terms, but the price on the forecourts has more than doubled.

Tax imposed by the government has caused the 'explosion'.

Absolutely no excuse can justify 80%+ fuel duty in my mind. Nothing.

Yes it's the same across Europe (although the UK is the most expensive, and not just for petrol either), but they are doing something about too i.e France where they have secured a decrease and I'm sure that this is only the beginning, well I hope it is.

CC

I don't think anyone is expecting huge decreases, maybe 10p a litre, then the price being linked to inflation/crude oil fluctuations???

Bob - nice one , it would be nice if people can stick together over this because unity in supporting those farmers/truckers is what they need. You also make a good point about rail as an alternative to road, but aren't the railways as poorly maintained as our roads (just the impression I have)?

Ken - I disagree. Fuel tax 10 years ago was much lower than it is today, income tax/VAT was about the same in 1990 as it is today...the tory government of 1990 ran the country with the much lower level of taxation on fuel, why can't the government of today do the same?
What has been done with all this extra tax levied on fuel? Have the NHS waiting lists shrunk? Have the latest treatments been made available to all, irrespective of age/status/location? Has public transport been brought up to the standards of our EU neighbours? Have our road been brought up to scratch? Have our schools been improved upon?....no, no, no...

So, just what has been done with this extra money that wasn't available to the previous government? I expect some decent fully referenced examples please...if you supply them i'll see your point.

IMO this money has been put into the treasuries coffers or simply wasted. Fat Cat Bosses recieving million pound bonuses is now pretty common, kids who steal and mug are sent on holidays, the dome (nothing more to be said there is the?), MEPs who do what....please tell me their REAL function. MPs that award themselves pay rises! Hmm that would be nice.....if theses 'expenses' need to be paid for, why is the motorist targeted to do this? Why can't this lot be paid for by taxes imposed on a wider range of taxable goods/artifacts...surely this is fairer than targeting the driver. Because of our traditionally British 'stiff upper lip', we didn't complain as the the rate of tax went up, and up, and up, but it's really affecting peoples lives. It's now gone beyond discouraging people to walk to the shop instead of driving......peoples jobs and livelyhoods are on the line here and thats just not on.

PS i also find it quite amusing that one of the original reasons cited to justify this unfair fuel tax was that Leaded petrol was dangerous even though diesel contains more carcinogens than tobacco, and now that Unleaded has been introduced, the reasons (excuses) have changed to that of 'these high taxes fund the NHS etc'! Politicians lie, big time.

This isn't a dig at Labour either...my political views are not my motive here. Seeing people in genuine distress is.

Mr Leigh

We could organise a protest ourselves! Lets have some serious ideas.

GranTurismo

I blame the Greens for giving the excuse to put tax on. The Gov is making driving as expensive as the train without giving us any better service! Imagine if companies could make thier competitors put thier prices up and enforce this by tax law, in order to cost the same!

Dave.

Ps Looks like Im working from home tomorrow!

Maxwell Straker

Maybe the Government could use some of the 20 squillion billion trillion quid they got for selling bandwidth licenses to the mobile telephone operators, which I have to add was not even theirs to sell.

Next thing you know there will be a tax on oxygen. They could quite easily use this windfall to help them out of this particular crises. The only thing that really worries me though is if the Government gives in and reduces price surely this opens the flood gates for direct action in all sorts of areas. The next thing you know the farmers will be protesting about meat prices and they will use the same action to get what they want.

Stuck between a rock and a hard place I'm afraid.

Geezer

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by Blow Dog:
<B>tories never screwed the motorist[/quote]

No, but they screwed just about everbody else!!!

Any government has to balance the books. If they don't take it in fuel tax, they'll take in another. It affects us the most because we drive gas guzzlers!

Geezer

Blow Dog

2 points I want to make..

1) Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the impression the Dome was funded with private investments, primarily the lottery funding and nothing went into it from tax payers.

2) With this fuel crisis, is it not possible that the motorised public transport system (Buses, petrol trains, taxi's) will also suffer? Or is diesel not yet a problem?
If we do hit these areas, I think the government would DEFINATELY take action then.

Cem

p.s. All petrol stations I have spoken to say that they will dry out by today/tommorow. This has been told to them by head offices.