Fuel for Thought..

There is a lot of anger directed at governments today as they aim to tackle environmental issues, an unlicensed and uninsured underclass and an ever-increasing amount of traffic. There is a feeling that drivers are an easy target and that a conscientious majority are being made to pay by governments and councils whose policy focus is out of touch with reality.

What is the reality of motoring today for the average new car buyer? That they are interested in buying as cheaply as possible, running their car enjoyably with as little stress as possible and ultimately selling their car again satisfactorily. The plain economics of all this are clearly a major concern for people. But people are also increasingly aware of green issues as policy wonks and manufacturers alike make eco-driving viable and financially attractive.

A recent survey in the Daily Telegraph suggests that drivers are more likely to fall foul of the law today than at any point since the invention of the car. Surely political parties need to be seen to be doing things for the motorist in order to justify this increasingly repressive attitude?

In the coming weeks we will be surveying party political attitudes to motorists, starting this week with a look at the pretenders to power, The Conservative Party.

THE CONSERVATIVE AGENDA - A GREEN CAR POLICY?

Having rebranded themselves as a pro-green party (remember David Cameron being towed by huskies?), The Conservatives now seem unsure how far to pursue their green agenda.

Divisive policies are hard to extract from parties in an election year and yet George Osborne recently discussed the possibility of more ' green taxes' , including a possible reintroduction of the fuel duty escalator. This measure, which sees fuel duty increase at several pence more than inflation each year, was scrapped by Labour in 2000 after ugly protests at the pumps.

David Cameron however seems keen to push on with a reintroduction of the fuel escalator ' when the economy improves' in order to pay for significant tax breaks to married couples.

Back in January a shadow cabinet minister said: ' We could reintroduce the fuel-duty escalator, as long as we were upfront about it. We would say the cost of petrol will rise for the next five years to reduce carbon emissions and fund tax cuts for families.

'In the same way that tobacco taxes were increased as a deliberate policy to improve health, it can be done.'

It seems that the Tories need to be careful with their positioning on green matters, if the skeptical 'blue blog' contingent is to be believed. Comments on the Conservative Party website include, ' Global warming is just another excuse to tax an already overtaxed population' , and, ' We only produce 2% of the world's CO2... We pay far too much in taxes for this con' .

 

Ben Williams, 1st April 2010