Chat & Social > The Bar - General Chat

Fuel Protest

<< < (5/11) > >>

Boddle:
I think you will find some of the issue is the way things are taxed with regard to certainly Petrol and Diesel which is percentage not a fixed figure (Like you would pay if you go over your 2500ltrs of veg oil).
 The fuel companies are taxed the moment the fuel lands here if the government chooses to increase that tax they then pass it onto the reseller, Now you pay tax on the reseller price if there being charged 1 penny more by the Fuel company you can add another 4 pence tax to that because Petrol and Diesel have something like 400% tax on them.

Disco Matt:
My point would be that the last round of fuel protests were the first case of this government being forced to take notice of public opinion, which they certainly don't do very often. My personal feeling is that we are too apathetic politically, the current administration knows this and therefore ignores public opinion as and when it suits them. A few more spectacular strikes/blockades in the French mould would probably do wonders for teaching them that government is supposed to serve the people, not the other way around!

littlepow:

--- Quote from: "crazymac" ---I'd support it, no worries!

Thing is, not so long ago we had high fuel prices, and the crude oil was $70 a barrel, but the exchange rate at the time made it more like £50 in our money.

Now we are told that the crude oil is reaching $100 a barrel, but in todays exchange rate that is LESS than £50 a barrel.

SO WHY ARE WE PAYING MORE FOR FUEL, by that arguement we should be paying the same as a few years back which was 90p a litre
--- End quote ---


Unfortunately it's not that simple. With the dollar losing value, due to the upheavel in the housing market (uinterest rates went from 1% to 5%).
The requirement for oil in China has increased again. The oil companies are having to recalculate production capabilities and long term survival.
Stock markets are no longer trusting the dollar and are investing in Oil, this inturn is pushing the cost of crude oil up. The political cliamate being caused by various countries having disagreements on how the should be run, is having a effect on supply.
The fact that Sterling is strong against the dollar is having the reverse effect for oil prices in the UK.

Fuel blockades are not a good thing. It punishes those that choose not to live crammed into towns and cities. Sorry but cutting fuel supplies to outlying areas can have server problems for many people. We don't all have the ability to walk / ride bikes to the shops or work.

Xtremeteam:

--- Quote from: "Guy90" ---
--- Quote from: "Boggert" ---Looks like they are thinking about a fuel protest again...

Do you support them...??

Would you put up with having no fuel as the depos are blocked with protesters...??

I for one would, as i think the price of fuel is crazy in this country??
--- End quote ---


You're an idiot then aren't you? The price will never come down, the speculators in the oil markets and the extreme demand and supply conditions will not allow it. If you don't understand this, don't comment.

What right have you, hauliers and assorted yokels (who don't pay anything like the same as the average motorist does) to decide if I can have fuel or not? Go argue the toss with Gordon Brown, it isn't anything to do with me. I'm entitled to go about my lawful business and you've no right to stop me by restricting my acess to fuel. I couldn't care if it's 50p or £5.00.

Hopefully the Police will get up off their backsides this time, apply the law, crack open the batons and crack a few heads!!
--- End quote ---


Can tell you work for C&E :lol:

datalas:

--- Quote from: "Guy90" ---If you want to have your say then have it by whinging outside the gates of Downing Street. Don't have it in a way that affects me or my life in any way. You have no right to do so.
--- End quote ---


I'm not going to get drawn into the debate,  however just for the sake of clarity, I should point out it is now illegal to protest within a certain distance (is it a mile?) of both Downing street and the houses of parliament without express written consent from the police force.  

This applies to single person protests as much as it does to hundreds of folk.

I think the key issue is not whether a person, or even group of persons should agree with a potential protest at all, but the intended target of the protests themselves.   I can appreciate Guy's perspective that it will inconvenience just about everyone except the intended target (somehow I don't think that many MPs will suffer) and it is a dangerous action, and a bit of an assumption to make, it's certainly restricting the freedoms and privilege of the people who's interests it's supposed to serve.

However, I can also appreciate the other perspective since having recently run piglet for a while I'm practically skint.

However, there is, as always a need for a clear goal of any protests, and then to have the protest directly serve those goals.  

BP have announced a 45% decrease in profits this year, so indications are that they are attempting to shoulder as much of the price fluctuations as they can, or at least that their shareholders will allow.  

The forecourt garages are all being driven out of business by Tescos and the like as they cannot afford to run petrol / diesel as a loss leader, so whether the intended action is to make petrol only available from mainstream garages and supermarket brands or not, it is a likely consequence.

The government aren't known for reducing taxes on fuel, or indeed anything else so caution would be welcome in expecting too much,  I assure you that if the tax were reduced tax on something else would go up to compensate.

Perhaps the best we can hope for is to not have an increase at the next budget, but that is itself risky as the money is likely to be drawn from somewhere else.

Funny world we live in isn't it?

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page