Honest John

Gorse Fox has mentioned Honest John before. Today he has been asked to list the various charges imposed on the motorist. Here is his summary:

Unless Government expenditure on unnecessary, wasteful consultations and suchlike is curtailed, the money has to come from somewhere – if not from motorists, then from less politically acceptable tax increases. But here goes: registration tax, £50; annual VED, £35-£400; fuel tax and VAT, about 80p per litre; VAT on new cars, 17.5 per cent; VAT on repairs and servicing, 17.5 per cent; tolls on Birmingham Expressway and various bridges; London congestion charge, £8 per day; VAT on car park charges, 17 per cent; fixed penalty speeding tickets (effectively a tax), £60; parking penalties (effectively a tax), £30-plus; IPT (Insurance Premium Tax), 2.5 per cent; council domestic parking charges; MoT test, £30-£40 per annum; VAT on car parts, 17.5 per cent; hospital parking; airport parking charges. And now pay-as-you-drive taxes are threatened, too.

Just thought it was worth reminding you.