For many reasons, I am extremely unhappy about the recent fuel price hikes.
South Dorset is predominantly rural, and suffers from a dearth of public transport.
Residents have no choice – either we stay at home or we drive to work, schools and shops. And if we drive, we drive further – thereby bearing a disproportionately high cost.
These price rises have come after a VAT increase, which already added £60 pounds a year to the cost of running the average car.
In addition, in the UK, we pay more in fuel duty than any other country in Western Europe – 62% of the cost of every litre.
This goes directly to the Treasury – and while I accept there is a vast hole in the public finances, unfair fuel taxes should not be used to fill it.
Indeed, it has long been a promise of the Conservative party to implement a ‘fair fuel stabiliser’. The idea is that, as fuel prices fluctuate, the consumer is cushioned against extremes.
It seems helpful to me – and far better than the idea of subsidising petrol for those who live in the countryside – which has ‘unworkable’ written all over it.
Something must be done – and urgently. London Mayor Boris Johnson pointed out this week that things have definitely gone wrong when it costs more to fill up than to fly to Rome.
I understand that we are in thrall to the oil cartels and that currency movements, political upheavals and ecological disasters affect prices.
But they affect our European neighbours too and I do not understand why we in Britain bear a higher burden.
Without a doubt, we do. Our petrol prices are infamous.
The gigantic continental lorries crowding our motorways have extra, built-in fuel tanks, so that they can avoid refuelling in the UK.
Meanwhile, the Federation of Small Businesses said recently that diesel prices are pushing many British hauliers into insolvency.
If this were France, our truckers would have blocked the motorways and stayed there until the price of petrol dropped.
Bravo – but not our style!