YOU CAN AFFORD TO DRIVE TO WORK, GEORGE... BECAUSE WE PAY YOUR PETROL BILL
CHANCELLOR George Osborne will make the short hop from 11 Downing Street to the House of Commons for his Budget Speech today, in his chauffeured government-issue Jaguar. And it won’t cost him a penny. Because, unlike you and I, George - who comes from a family of millionaires - gets his drive to work PAID FOR. Out of OUR taxes. British taxpayers shell out the thick end of £4million every year to provide our political rulers with cars and chauffeurs to ferry them about their business. The same political rulers who REFUSE to cut the duty on petrol and diesel, a tax on travel that is making the commute to work too expensive for many.
And the problem looks set to get worse unless Mr Osborne uses today’s Budget to SCRAP August’s planned increase in fuel duty.
Unaffordable
Because new figures show that workers are being priced out of jobs – as they cannot afford the drive to work.
Of 16,647 AA members polled, by pollsters Populus, 4% said they would change jobs to reduce mileage if the 3.02p duty increase is not scrapped. While 3% would have to abandon their job altogether because of unaffordable travel costs.
Skilled service and manual workers are most at risk, with 9% fearing for their employment should the duty rise take place.
Southern England, the Midlands and North West are the regions where there is most concern about jobs, the survey showed.
The planned increase will push petrol prices up to around 145p a litre, with diesel rising to 150p.
Those polled were asked what would be the effect of such prices, with 63% saying they would cut back on car use, 18% would cut back on grocery shopping and 23% would abandon or delay the purchase of furniture, home improvements or luxury items.
Backfire
AA president Edmund King said: “Pump prices that many people can’t afford means lost high street spending, higher transport costs, rising inflation, lost tax from lower fuel sales, lost tax from businesses going bust, lost tax from workers losing their jobs and a bigger unemployment benefit bill.
“A hike in fuel costs at the start of the holiday season will backfire as many people are already cutting back.”
Yet despite motorists facing higherever taxes, the government now want to PRIVATISE our roads.
That means superhighways will be built for the mega-rich – and, we presume, government ministers.
While the rest of us will be forced to crawl at a snail’s pace along jammed, rutted tracks – and still pay a king’s ransom for the privilege.
Britain’s motorists are not asking for a free ride.
They are simply asking for their money’s worth.
And they are sick of getting ripped off by government ministers who think a free ride in a posh car is their God-given right.