This Tax-loving Administration.

Why is so much anger being directed at fuel companies deemed “greedy” when the true culprit is the UK government itself? The seventy-year high in overall taxation is highlighted by the cost for citizens of keeping their vehicles moving. Leaving diesel, particularly, at such eye-watering levels adds to the transport costs for all retailers and is contributing significantly to the price of food.

The 5p cut in fuel duty by the Treasury is almost the lowest among European countries. Indeed, only the tiny, and wealthy, state of Luxembourg has done less than the UK Government where any action has been taken at all, according to the RAC. Governments in major nations have made substantial cuts, including Germany (25.1p per litre), Italy (21.2p per litre), Portugal (16.2p per litre), and the Netherlands (14.7p per litre).

In France and Spain, discounts have been introduced at forecourts worth around 15p per litre and 17p per litre respectively. Some fuel retailers, including TotalEnergies in France and BP Spain, have price reductions worth up to about 33p per litre.

Indeed, it is a TotalEnergies station near me in Wolverhampton that is currently charging just 179.6 for diesel. The disruption it causes in local traffic as people battle to fill their vehicles with fuel that is 10-20p per litre cheaper than their “competitors” is substantial. Yet isn’t the true cause the higher prices elsewhere, forcing motorists to take whatever action needed to keep their motors running?

RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: “This analysis lays bare an uncomfortable truth for the UK Government – that compared to other European countries, it’s pretty much done the least to support drivers through the current period of record high fuel prices.

“The cost-of-living crisis shows no signs of coming to an end anytime soon and it’s frustrating that repeated calls to the UK Government for more support are falling on deaf ears.”

Oil companies may not be blameless, but they finally have a chance to reverse the losses of two years when demand fell off a cliff due to, wait for it, GOVERNMENT enforced lockdowns! So instead of blaming BP, Shell, et al, why not target your anger at the true culprits - the UK government, who secretly love inflation as it’s the easiest way to lessen the impact of their excessive borrowing.

Target your anger properly, blame the people who caused it.

Martin Day – Party Secretary