Trouble is, its not just 1p increase we're talking about. The recent fuel duty increase may only cost £18 per 10k per year but the rest of the financial mismanagement that's gone on has seen the value of the pound tumble and consequently, fuel has increased by at least 20p per litre in the last 12months. Which means, according to Ducalio's maths) an extra £320 per year (after income tax and NI) that the average motorist has to find.
And it's not just the great unwashed that you talk of who will be feeling the pinch because largely, they don't cover as many miles as someone who doesn't claim benefits and instead, commutes to work every day to earn money and pay tax.
Personally, I do 20k miles per year just getting to work so in the last 12 months, my fuel has gone up by £640 per year and that's before I have to pay tax on the money I earn to pay for the fuel I need to use to commute to work in the first place.
Now I don't mind paying tax so long as I can see some improvement in services such as the NHS, police, fire, roads, etc.. The trouble is, I honestly can't.
Thankfully we have an election coming up in the next few weeks which gives us an opportunity to have a modicum of a say in the running of the country. The problem as I see it is there's no real alternative - either way we're going to have to pay more tax in order to pay off the debt. I just hope we don't have to endure another 5 years of the current rabble - if we do, I shall seriously consider selling up and leaving this sinking ship.