Road tax increase 'will hit 9m'

[Sparky Mark]

BBC News site's article

Don't know if anyone's caught this in the news last night or this morning, but the long & short of it is basically that a govt spokesperson has finally been forced to come clean with their estimates of how the new road tax proposals will effect drivers.

Official estimates say vehicle excise duty will rise for 44% of vehicles made since 2001 - by up to £245 for the most polluting ones - but will fall for 33%.

But ministers insisted the aim was to cut pollution, not to raise revenue.

Yeah sure! and I suppose it's just a coincidence that it happens to raise revenue as well. Don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with green taxes in principal, but it annoys the hell out of me when the govt jump on the green bandwagon as an excuse to raise extra revenue.

Why haven't they given a commitment to plough any extra revenue raised from this change back into public transport, or other green causes?

Hell, why don't they use the extra revenue raised to give motorists a bit of a break on fuel duty? Sure the UK govt can't effect global oil prices, as they're fond of pointing out, but given just how much of UK petrol prices are down to tax, they could give motorists a break if they wanted to.

 

[Oranoco]

At least **** Turpin wore a mask.

Gordon Brown = Highway Robbery

 

[Nickynibbles]

Im just surprised that people were just accepting the governments word and the press didnt raise the matter long ago as motoring organisations have been harping on about this ever since the government announced these changes in April!! Its been very clear that a lot of the larger polluting vehicles were going to be hit, but the lines used were gas guzzlers & large engined vehicles. Sad fact of the matter is a lot of what we'd call regular run of the mill family cars are really inefficient in reality but this seems to of been glazed over! The vauxhall 1.8 16v engine is a classic example, its an average size engine, not something you'd think was a gas guzzler, but in reality its a really inefficient engine so your Astra's/Vectra's/Zafira's etc owners are gonna get shafted!

 

[TFSI]

I dislike the government and the tax and the ****** country we live in.

I also dislike the ****** small minded greedy people whom live in this ****** country.

Great Britain = Ar*ehole of the world.

And we used to be so so so good.

 

[Sparky Mark]

Great Britain = Ar*ehole of the world.

Don't get me started on that one mate *grin* It's not PC to say so these days but this country's been going down the pan since WW2 &/or we lost the empire.
Think I'll bite my tongue there though, not sure quite what the limits are on this board and don't want to be labeled a troll.

 

[voorhees]

Gordon Browns a ****!

 

[motorbikez]

Gordon Browns a ****!

Not so c--nts are useful browns utterly useless.

 

[stoakseya4]

No really, what do you think ? Don't mess about...!

 

[voorhees]

 

[Gti Jazz Blue]

Now if they had made the change for all vehicles registered after next April, I think that everyone could accept it. You would have a choice. It is the fact that it is retrospective to vehicles registered since 2001 that is so unfair, and confirms that it is in fact just one more stealth tax dressed up as a green act by this shambolic government.

Paul

 

[motorbikez]

brown and co will never come clean about revenue raising from the motorist they are desparate for cash and the motorist is fair game to them the ammount of fuel duty they are ripping off the motorist and motoring taxes in general are the only things stopping this country from imploding.

They will do nothing to help the average man in the street only themselves.They will continue to ratchet up road tax with the pretence of helping the environment IMHO.

 

[Nickynibbles]

Now if they had made the change for all vehicles registered after next April, I think that everyone could accept it. You would have a choice. It is the fact that it is retrospective to vehicles registered since 2001 that is so unfair, and confirms that it is in fact just one more stealth tax dressed up as a green act by this shambolic government.

Paul

Thank your lucky stars they dont have emissions data for cars registered before that date else they'd back date even further!

 

[james0808]

Thank your lucky stars they dont have emissions data for cars registered before that date else they'd back date even further!

I for one am glad they dont.

 

[Z82]

See, they no longer have the same amount of smokers they need to shaft for huge taxes so the motorist is being hit harder than before, next will be alcohol.
This govornment is a joke!

 

[Oranoco]

Gordon Browns a ****!

Clear concise and to the point, if a little blunt

 

[karl7900]

Gordon Browns a ****!

:end_of_discction:

 

[Sparky Mark]

See, they no longer have the same amount of smokers they need to shaft for huge taxes so the motorist is being hit harder than before, next will be alcohol.
This govornment is a joke!

That's only because so many have died of pneumonia since we got forced to stand outside in all weathers- Tell me how that's good for my health again?

Am suppressing the urge to go into a major rant here, but suffice to say that I hate the hypocracy of govt, on one hand, turning smokers into social lepers, but, on the other, still being willing to profit massively of off peoples addiction!
Not that I'm one of these "breath smoke into childrens' faces" types, but, given how much money tobacco duty pours into the govt coffers I wouldn't have thought it was too much to ask to be allowed to retain *some* indoor smoking areas.

 

[Z82]

That's only because so many have died of pneumonia since we got forced to stand outside in all weathers- Tell me how that's good for my health again?

Am suppressing the urge to go into a major rant here, but suffice to say that I hate the hypocracy of govt, on one hand, turning smokers into social lepers, but, on the other, still being willing to profit massively of off peoples addiction!
Not that I'm one of these "breath smoke into childrens' faces" types, but, given how much money tobacco duty pours into the govt coffers I wouldn't have thought it was too much to ask to be allowed to retain *some* indoor smoking areas.

Totally agree!
I have been smoking for 28 years and have tried everything to stop, I don't even enjoy most of them now and the ban has not helped me at all except freezing my balls off and forcing me to down my drink when I need a cig as I cant have both at the same time in most pubs/clubs.

May look like I've gone off topic but my point is to show that the government take full advantage of the vulnerable to make as much money as possible by disguising it as some eco/green/health option. I lose more and more faith in this cuntry (intentional spelling mistake) all the time, bunch of tossers...

 

[fingermouse]

the NHS only use about 10-20% of the tax raised from cigs the rest is pure profit for the goverment.

Read the other day that the flood victims were given something like 52 million in aid but the goverment will raise 500 million from the taxes they will get off the insurance claims lol

 

[Sparky Mark]

Totally agree!
I have been smoking for 28 years and have tried everything to stop, I don't even enjoy most of them now and the ban has not helped me at all except freezing my balls off and forcing me to down my drink when I need a cig as I cant have both at the same time in most pubs/clubs.

Yep, in pretty much the same boat mate *sigh*

May look like I've gone off topic but my point is to show that the government take full advantage of the vulnerable to make as much money as possible by disguising it as some eco/green/health option.

Nah, if it has gone OT I guess I'd have to take the blame for derailing it, but we could always consider this to be a generic anti-govt rant thread.
Nothing wrong with some cathartic spleen venting IMHO, stops the blood pressure getting *too* high! *grin*

 

[AndyMac]

Unfortunately the goverment find themselves in the unenviable position where the very thing they want us all to stop (smoking), is the only thing keeping the NHS afloat. If we all stopped overnight the NHS would implode. The 20 a day smoker contributes more than 700 times over what it costs the NHS to ultimately treat them, so smoke 'em if you've got 'em everyone otherwise little Johnny will never get that bone marrow transplant!

Now, why on earth aren't all the unhealthy foods & sweets taxed to the same level as fags? Obesity is supposed to be the number one priority at the moment, far worse than the impact of cigarettes as it is more widespread, stops people from working and effects people far earlier in their lives. A Big Mac meal should cost about a tenner IMO, with the £7 tax going to the NHS and all the necessary lifting gear needed to treat them.

Forget asylum seekers, why on earth are we paying disability benefits to fat people so they can stay at home on the sick and get fatter? No wonder the NHS has a shortage of beds, it's all the fat ******* taking up 2 at a time! Put the fork down people! talk about the 51st state of the USA.

Hey I'm a Heroin addict can I be signed off work for the next 20 years please? I don't think so.

 

[Z82]

we could always consider this to be a generic anti-govt rant thread.
Nothing wrong with some cathartic spleen venting IMHO, stops the blood pressure getting *too* high! *grin*

Sounds good to me lol

the NHS

Theres another place my money has gone and for what??

Last time I was at a dentist was 1988, Ive had some minor problems over the last 3 years so registered with an NHS dentist... Apparently Im not even half way down the list after 3 years!!!

Last time I was at the doctors was 2001 for a check up as I hadn't been feeling good for a few months and was getting chest pains, the doctor asked my when I saw a doctor last to which I answered "1987" she then basically shoed me out indicating I was wasting her time :|

I have paid taxes and NI in full since I left school in 1986 with the exception of 8 weeks that I was unemployed and cant get anything in return!

Makes me wonder what I actually work for sometimes!

 

[Z82]

why on earth aren't all the unhealthy foods & sweets taxed to the same level as fags?

Thats another annoyance of mine.
Ban fat ******* from eating in public places... make them stand outside in the cold ******* rain on street corners to eat their pies!

 

[quattrojames]

Haha Love it !

 

[Sparky Mark]

Unfortunately the goverment find themselves in the unenviable position where the very thing they want us all to stop (smoking), is the only thing keeping the NHS afloat. If we all stopped overnight the NHS would implode. The 20 a day smoker contributes more than 700 times over what it costs the NHS to ultimately treat them, so smoke 'em if you've got 'em everyone otherwise little Johnny will never get that bone marrow transplant!

Too true mate, too true, & yet somehow we're still the bad guys. Honestly, if the govt was *really* concerned with the health of smokers they'd ban tobacco completely, & I think I'd probably respect them more if they had the cajones to do so.
Their current attitude, of feeling they have to be seen to do something, & therefore introducing measures that just make life for smokers more difficult, while blatently hoping that we won't make the effort to beat the addiction, cos they need the tax, is to my mind taking the p***!

Now, why on earth aren't all the unhealthy foods & sweets taxed to the same level as fags? Obesity is supposed to be the number one priority at the moment, far worse than the impact of cigarettes as it is more widespread, stops people from working and effects people far earlier in their lives. A Big Mac meal should cost about a tenner IMO, with the £7 tax going to the NHS and all the necessary lifting gear needed to treat them.

Lol, makes just as much sense as the punative taxation of fags and alcohol!

What I *REALLY* want to know is what the hell they do with all their tax revenue, *WHY* are they constantly having to look at more and more ways of squeezing the British public? It can't all have been for Prescott's pies! WTF are they spending it on?
I can't help but think that too much is being put into PFIs and other projects that legitimately allow govt to give tax payers' money to their mates in big business! It smells like fraud to me, but I guess it's easy to be a crook when your the one who make the rules!

This country is so going to dogs & the people who are meant to be solving the problem only seem interested in serving the ends of themselves and their buddies.
IMHO there is a massive need for reform of both the govt & the bureaucracy that surrounds it, but, when the only people in a position to change things are the ones who benefit from the current set up, I guess we're more likely to see the devil ice-skating out of hell, than a govt that's actually willing to shake things up a bit!
/rant

 

[AndyMac]

Clearer labelling on fatty foods is what we need, fat people are just confused about what's good for them & what isn't!
And much bigger warnings on the fag packets, cos we never realised they were bad for us, oh and the classic "keep them under the counter" so you won't be tempted to just start smoking at the sight of a pack!
Listen to uncle Denis, hilarious:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWEbhT8qnmg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulKfMR2stdo

 

[Nickynibbles]

Wouldnt surprise me if they start taxing gym memberships so that they squeeze more money from the healthy people who are'nt down the pub instead generating tax income by drinking & smoking!!