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Motorists urged to make a stand
Reporter: KAREN DOHERTY
Date online: 05 January 2011
Election 2011
CHANCELLOR George Osborne was accused of leaving his head on the ski slope as yesterday’s VAT rise was blasted by another Labour heavyweight.
The party’s campaign co-ordinator Andy Burnham visited Scouthead Filling Station — and urged local voters to send a message to the Coalition Government in the Oldham East and Saddleworth January 13 by-election.
It came hot on the heels of Labour leader Ed Miliband who also blasted the 2.5 per cent hike when he hit the campaign trail in Oldham on Monday.
Mr Burnham said motorists were being hit by a double whammy of the VAT increase and Prime Minister David Cameron’s failure to introduce the promised fuel duty stabiliser.
After braving the cold weather to chat to voters he added: “We have had a lot of broken promises by David Cameron and Nick Clegg on petrol. As people go back to work they will be feeling the costs in their pockets.”
He repeated Mr Miliband’s mantra of the “wrong tax at the wrong time” and said: “We always said the fairest way to raise funds to help close the deficit was through National Insurance. VAT hits the poorest hardest.”
Mr Burnham opened the new £26 million Failsworth School when he was secretary of state for culture, media and sport. He also criticised the coalition’s decision to shelf the country’s multi-billion-pound Building Schools for the Future programme — including the new Saddleworth School — and added: “To have that taken away was the wrong decision.”
Roger Shepley, who owns a wool spinning manufacturer in Delph, told Mr Burnham that the VAT rise would make him think hard before taking on another member of staff,
“I feel that the rise in VAT is a poor man’s tax, an unjust tax and the working man will be hit the hardest,” he added.
Question Time tickets
Book your place at tomorrow’s Chronicle by-election Question Time to be held at Denshaw Village Hall (7-9pm).
Oldham East and Saddleworth’s three-way marginal is of national significance and all three of the main candidates Debbie Abrahams (Lab), Kashif Ali (Con) and Elwyn Watkins (Lib-Dem) will be there to answer your questions with polling day only a week away.
Call 0161-622 2130 today — a limited number of places may be available on the night on a first-come-first-served basis.
Comments
Why is there so much being made about the rise by 2.5% in VAT, some months ago when it was reduced by 2.5% everybody said it was an insignificant reduction. But now it is an enormous rise. I know it affects the fuel costs but shouldn't we being making a bigger noise about the fuel tax being raised and then VAT being charged on the cost of the fuel AND the fuel tax.
funny but Liebour were going to introduce this VAT rise & Cameron opposed it, then there's a complete 180° turn round and both swap places!
Having said that if Osbourne was to close the corporation tax loophole which allows companies like Vodaphone to pay zero tax in Switzerland just for having a post office box, then there wouldn't be any need for tax or for cuts either!
Well said Roger - pity you're not standing.
In September 2000 there were fuel protests in the UK when the pump price was about 81p a litre. However, many were organised by Tory leaning farmers and hauliers. Their silence is currently deafening!
I hope the people of Oldham unite in one voice, and choose a candidate who understands and will represent Oldham. This is a very very close race for all three parties, who are all working very hard for your vote.
Now it is up to the constituents of Oldham East and Saddleworth to make their choice.
black le, don't be fooled, the VAT rate has been increased by 14.3% as that is what is required to move it from 17.5% to 20%.
You are right, when the Labour government reduced it to 15% people did say it was an insignificant amount, but clearly it wasn't.
Burnham conveniently ignores the fact that unleaded was 57.9p per litre in 1997 and has DOUBLED under his government.
The vat rise was going to be introduced by Labour but they are now oppotunistically opposing the rise.
Labour, WHERE DOES THE MONEY COME FROM?. You oppose all cuts and oppose these tax rises.
Hypocrites. Wrong cuts, wrong time? What are the right cuts and the right time Labour supporters ? Awaits the answer....
P.S "OldBoy" glad you weren't my maths teacher with made up figs
some fuel stations themselves have alot to answer for.
too many raised their prices before any actual increases, then raised them again when the cost of oil rose and then again when vat went up.
some others retailers have kept their prices reasonably low to help motorists as we're being hit hardest by these moneygrabbers.
my advice, boycott all the more expensive fuel stations and use the cheaper ones to show you disgust in this almost criminal activity.
Ladies and Gents, real reason for car-dependancy is Con -servatives deregulated bus service and sold off BR; many routes cancelled, unreliable service, underwritten price wars bankrupted many reputable companies leaving public better off running a car for their daily needs instead of using public transport.
Want to make a stand Roger? Then use your car less. Then the government won't get the income, oil demand will slow, oil won't move and barrel prices will come down and Cameron can say that's consistent with our policy of the big community. let's get excited about important things shall we, like a really useful and actionable alternative from sleepy Ed
very true HtheHag. they did start the ball rolling for this public transport misery.
but 13 years of labour using green issues as a excuse for taxing fuel far too much and also promising that money would be invested in public transport has still failed to materialise.
so where have those billions of pounds gone?
even the metrolink we're finially getting (which labour cancelled twice) we are having foot the bill for in our council tax.
so we're paying twice for practically nowt in return!
Have Your Say
well said Mr Shepley. Spot on!
By JMTS @ 05/01/2011 18:20:24