Nigel - I am still not getting my point across am I? Regardless of who spends what, taxing everyone at the same rate as happens with VAT is, to my mind, not a good thing. You believe it is. I suspect we will never agree.
But you are advocating increasing income tax for the rich, to reduce VAT on fuel to 0% for everybody. Is that not taxing everyone at the same rate on that commodity?
Would it make a difference to your view if VAT on fuel was reduced to 0% (not an option I believe we have while remaining part of the EC) but an additional levy placed on the power firms, which they would pass on to the public in the form of higher prices all around.