Motorists prove rich pickings for the tax man

Since coming into power in 1997, Labour has increased fuel duty by 19%, yet car ownership in the UK has increased by 25% suggesting that our love-affair with the car continues unabated.

Debra Williams, managing director of Confused.com, said: “Motorists have proved to be rich pickings for the Labour government. However, despite the increases in fuel prices, fuel duty, road tax, and excise duty since 1997, the number of cars on our roads keeps growing. Although fuel duty has been classified, in the Budget, as an environmental policy since 2002, the changes to duty levels have clearly never been significant enough to stop Briton’s from getting in their cars; is this just another Labour stealth tax?

“Alistair Darling’s announcement of further fuel duty increases in the 2008 Budget will not come into effect until October, but will add up to an additional £16 per year for Nissan Micra drivers, for example, when the policy officially kicks in. Although the small incremental increases which we have seen over the past decade or so may add up to a staggering 19%, spreading the impact has immunised UK motorists to the reality of the real costs.”