Fuel protests starting 5470

Brimstone

Translation: Accurate history snipped (and here reinstated, much to the PP's chagrin):

Petrol has not been cheap since about 1973.

Labour put VAT (eventually at the astounding rate of 25%*) on it almost as soon as they came to office in Feb. 1974. Until then, under the Conservative government of Mr Heath, it had been zero-rated in recognition of the high excise duty it carried. Wilson had "suggested" (during the Feb election campaign) that the government should reduce the duty on fuel in order to counteract the effects of the post-Yom Kippur War oil shock. So far from reducing the duty, he kept it at the same level and put tax on it - tax on tax.

As for the reason why it would be a better idea to have another petrol tax protest *now* - what would be the point in having one a year before an election? The protestors surely learned that lesson last time.

* For some reason, Labour supporters always deny the truth of that, preferring not to be reminded of the record high rate of VAT - 25%, the highest we have ever had in the UK - under Wilson-Callaghan.

Now isn't that funny? You keep trying to insist you are not a Labour supporter. Why then so much concern about a few home truths about the history of Labour's hypocritical (not to mention mendacious) approach to fuel taxation?

As to your main question - why would anyone (sensible) complain about fuel being cheap?

Probably because at the time, UK fuel taxation was the lowest in the EEC (after Luxembourg - a long way after Luxembourg).

Nowadays, it's equal to the highest. And in 2000, it *was* the highest by far (under Blair - to be fair, he admitted that).

But why are you asking if you don't care for accurate answers?