UK diesel price hike....

[Rockter]

In November, the cost of UK "recraetional" diesel for boats (the red stuff) will double, to approx £5.17 per UK gal, $8.59 per US gal.

Apparently some European has objected to it being sold so cheaply and wants 20 p per litre duty imposed on it.

To celebrate the chance to raise taxes, Gordon Brown and his socialists will raise the duty not to 20 p but to the price paid for a road vehicle... close to 60 p per litre.

The entire UK boat industry and its recreatioinal businesses will now have their fuel costs doubled overnight, in an economy where growth is dropping sharply. For those that are under pressure financially, boating was always the first to see a cut in spending, now compounded by a doubling of fuel costs.

What will live-aboards do? They have to run heaters to live-aboard at all.

I was reminded time after time that the UK would never allow control of taxation to be ceded to Europe. Upward taxation is permitted apparently, not downward. So much for sovereignty over this UK nation.

There is an election coming up. I promise that I will change the complexion of that high-spending bozo Gordon Brown, and to red. I look forward to it no end.

Rockter.

[Stillraining]

Bummer Rock...

Small fish in a big pond arnt we...I Paid 4.12 for the first time in my life today here as well...that probably sounds good to you right now but for us thats nearly doubled in two years ..Its a racket..diesel is less refined then gas yet costs more?...

[Rockter]

"Taxation without representation" kickstarted a revolution in what was to become the USA.
I ask, how do I vote out the European that imposes this one me? In reality we are supposed to have a veto on interference in taxation affairs, clearly not used.
I will settle this score at the next election. Right now, Bozo Brown and his party are a full 14 points behind in the opinion polls, enough to give the Conservative party an outright majority of 100.
I own a saiboat, and, on average, in the canal, I can sail about half the time on the bigger lochs. There are many, many powerboats... not rocket ships, but of the chugg-chugg variety...they have to motor everywhere.
On English canals, the narrowboat is common, totally dependent on fuel.... definitely a chugg-chugg.

All have the vote though, as we shall see.

[SwanseaJack]

I may have got this wrong, but it was not that 'some European decided we where not paying enough' but the requirement, not unreasonably, that private use of fuel should be taxable at a reasonable rate (currently red diesel is VAT at 8% like heating oil). It is out government that decided to hit it with the full motor car duty rate, highlighting the crazy amount we are actually taxed on fuel for road use.

There is I believe a mechanism for private owners to claim back the duty and VAT on fuel used for heating.

[Rockter]

Not much though Swansea...perhaps 25% is reclaimable, after the inevitable mountain of paperwork.
How do I vote out the European that forced this one me? How do I do that? The European certainly did decide that we're not paying enough, and until such times as I can vote him out, he can keep his tax rises for Austrians, where it originated.

A big pharmaceutical, Shire (FTSE 100) announced yesterday that they are leaving the UK, and for tax reasons. I hope some of them own a boat, so that they can take it to Ireland and use it there. Either way, they have grown tired of paying so much tax... last year they made $82 million, and were taxed $51 million, plus all the income taxes.
Next year, the UK exchequer will get nothing. Zero, nada, zilch. the Irish will tax less, but will get what tax there is.

There will be many more that will leave, given time, before this hig-spending, high borrowing, high taxation cabal are gotten rid of. The UK has ceased to be competitive, certainly with respect to the Irish. Good luck to the Irish too. They can set us an example.

As for us here in the UK, well, we can just keep taxing away merrily, and spread it ever thinner, ever more evenly. That way, very few of us will afford a boat and we won't have the problem of boat fuel tax taxed as for road fuel.

Rockter.

[Johnrb]

Rockter:

"I will settle this score at the next election. Right now, Bozo Brown and his party are a full 14 points behind in the opinion polls, enough to give the Conservative party an outright majority of 100."

Good luck but I've read that the Conservatives aren't any better on many issues. Can you comment?

[Idiens]

It wasn't a "The European", it was 25 of them, including the UK European, who decided that there should be similar taxes on fuel for recreational craft across the EU.

As usual, if the measure is unpopular, the "UK European" (probably the UK minister of finance in this case) came home and blamed the other Europeans for his decision to vote for the measure. Had it been a popular measure, he would have claimed credit for forcing the change on the other Europeans. Just a normal politician.

So now the UK boaters (and Belgiums) have to pay prices similar to those paid already in most EU countries. But in the UK, red diesel remains available and can be used, in some curious way, on board boats for heating, with less tax. In Belgium, the dockside storage tanks had to be steam cleaned and only white diesel refilled.

Coincidentally, my Webasto heater doesn't seem to like white road diesel like it did the red.

[Rockter]

But the taxes are NOT similar.
UK road diesel is taxed out of sight.
In the outer islands of Scotland, you simply will not be able to get white diesel, as the dockside facilities will not be modified to carry it, as they could not sell enough to make it viable alongside the red diesel.... hence this idea of selling red diesel at road prices. It is not a road though.
The "UK European" as you refer to him is not elected, just like the other 24 are not elected either, and you did not elect, nor can you get rid of, yours either. Welcome to the European dream... unelected, interfering, highly paid and expensive.

How much does your boat diesel cost there Idiens, in Belgium? I will bet you it's less than £1.20 a litre.

I have never bought into this European dream, and no-one has ever asked my opinion and I have never been given the opportunity to wake them up. It is a ruthless and unelected cabal, very careful not to allow the citizens of Europe to stop them. Treaty??? Constitution???

Sick-bag.

[LynW]

Originally Posted by Rockter

In November, the cost of UK "recraetional" diesel for boats (the red stuff) will double, to approx £5.17 per UK gal, $8.59 per US gal.

Its amazing how steep the rise has been. Towards the end of 2004, shortly before we left England, I filled our tanks with red diesel at Limehouse Basin in London at just 24p a litre, equivalent to $1.80 per US gallon. That's nearly a 5-fold increase in 4 years!

[buckeyesailor]

Heads up America!........we're next.....

perhaps I'll become a politician....then I can get all of you to pay my diesel bill?!?

perhaps not.......I have a conscience......