FairFuelUK, backed by the RHA and Logistics UK (FTA) will fight tooth and nail against the rumoured plans to raise fuel duty on already, one of the highest taxed group of drivers in the world. (See European fuel tax table below)
Robert Halfon MP, talking directly to Rishi Sunak, said “Don’t let the taxpayer millions that funded half-price meals in August, be partly paid for, using an unnecessary hike in fuel duty. Such a needless rise in this levy will impact badly on the cost of living for families, increase inflation, hit businesses and jobs hard. It will even swell costs for our hard pressed public services, including the NHS.”
Howard Cox, Founder of the FairFuelUK Campaign, on behalf of UK drivers said: “Do not make the world’s highest taxed drivers, the fiscal fall guys in a post pandemic recovery budget. And hiding behind a green driven agenda to hike a regressive tax will be disingenuous and hit low-income drivers hardest. Instead, put much more money into people’s pockets. The extra consumer spending to drive up GDP, and all that goes with it, will help the economy recover quickly, the environment long term, and restore confidence in our beleagered Government. But by hitting drivers more in their pockets will driver Tory voters away from the once popular Boris.”
Background
“Everyone knows UK motorists have always been servile pickings for the Treasury, and now along with the clueless London Mayor, and a thickening catalogue of the nation’s local authorities, it seems our elected politicos are eager to jump on deepening anti-car policies to raise more tax for their own cash strapped administrations.”
“Bikers, motorists, van drivers, taxis and truckers deliver the 5th largest income to the Exchequer. Circa 70% of what we put into our tanks, is tax. (See fuel tax table below). Immorally there’s even VAT on the duty itself. We drive on third world potholed infested roads and are subject to the greedy fuel supply chain’s unfailing and unrestrained rip off pricing at the pumps. Drivers are also made to feel guilty for all the environmental ills of the planet, whilst other larger sources of pollutants are politically ignored and pay nothing for their contribution to purported poor air quality.”
“When the pandemic Budget surfaces, the Chancellor must ignore those very well financed green groups and their baseless, emotionally charged ‘climate emergency’ calls to inflict more ineffective crippling costs on drivers. Rishi Sunak empirically knows that lower fuel duty and less driving costs, as previously published by his own department, and the CEBR’s respected economic analysis commissioned by FairFuelUK, massively benefits growth in GDP, jobs, inflation, business investment and consumer spending. Without FairFuelUK’s campaigning, we would now be paying £1.80 at the pumps. Imagine what that price to fill up would have done to the 5th largest economy in the world.”
“So, Rishi on behalf of the majority of drivers, business and private, do not screw the commercial and social heartbeat of our economy to mollify the environmental lobby and pay off your post pandemic debt. The UK needs to recover big and fast using incentives not punitive knee jerk extra taxes.”
“With more disposable income, we will ALL spend and spend. Businesses will flourish, and the extra tax cash from ensuing growth in the economy will flood into HMRC. You know this is the Conservative way and why Boris has such a huge majority. It is a positive, effective, and fairest way forward post pandemic and will bring most of the UK with you.”
I can’t really add anything more to your article, other than suggest that if the figures for fuel tax don’t include VAT, then they should be added, to get people to understand the true extent of the burden placed on motorists and transport organisations.