Oh, but I agree with most things written here. The emergancy services and assistance like home care for the elderly, infirm and disabled should be paramount, Our love affair with the car has got to stop somewhere. But Taxing it out of the hands of the less well off, like the old and infirm and those earning only a pittance while others run about in their gas guzzling 2.5L and bigger engines (I only have a 1.4-more than big enough,I think 1.2L is big enough for a family car)is not going to be the answer, nor is it a move towards a more equal society. We have more people on the breadline in this country than ever before. I've lived in a rural community where there was a bus each way a day if you were lucky, how can people manage there without a vehicle? My kids walk the mile to school come rain,snow or shine. We refuse to let them travel by car and it's quite true that there are countless pointless journies of a few hundred yards all polluting the atmosphere. We go by cycle whenever we can, so are not so dependant on the car. But Icckle Dorritt-you and I have agreed many times, Government in this country is elected by the people to carry out their work in the best interests of the people and high taxation of fuel is obviously not the best interest. It puts up the price of every item we buy, unless it is very locally produced. Far better to invest in a rail infra-structure, send most things by rail to local depots and then use clean burning or electric energy to deliver, as well as building a really safe cycle network as they have in Holland, where more journies are made by cycle than car.And also, though personal taxation may be higher the retail prices of many items in many countries is much lower than ours. They have immense public support and the government should start governing for the people and not for it's and it's "old school tie/ruling classes cronies. Vive La revolution. Cheers. Eric