I know, well, I didn't think he could get the job being that stupid. We're in a worse state than I thought.

It took you this long to work that out?

Gideon is a prize arse of the top order. He is also a serious NeoCon with an agenda, and I suspect he’s inflexible to the point of Brown when it comes to seeing that through. Putting him in such a position of responsibility is a truly dangerous, and I would say incompetent thing to do. In a political argument with Cameron, I bet he wins every time.

Here, a litre of diesel costs between 1.34 and 1.46 and unleaded between 1.48 and 1.57, depending on the day of the week and what is happening in the world...

In January, diesel was around 1.24 to 1.34, so the price has gone up 10c a litre in 2 months, taking the average price.

We don’t get those fluctuations. It[]s just increases here. Around where I am, it’s around £1.35 a litre. It’s getting on for £1.50 in other places.

We will hit the point where fuel costs cause the country to start to grind to a halt. In a few weeks time both of us here are going to a couple of events within the M25 boundary. We need to take a car due to what’s needed. It is cheaper now to book a room in a travel inn than it would be to drive to each from the house. OK, so a win for the hotel at this point, but in the long term, such trips may cease.

Lol, no, just took me this long to realise exactly how stupid he is.

The price increases do not impact me personally but do indirectly. They will push up the cost of grocery deliveries, buses trains etc. I wonder how long before we have refinery blockades again?

I don't think we will - they don't achieve anything (except getting those involved on the 9 o'clock news), and they hit the wrong people. It's not my fault fuel prices are where they are, so why should I suffer because some idiot thinks that blockading refineries is a good idea?

At the end of the day, the people ultimately responsible are (a) the Government, (b) OPEC, (c) speculators and (d) the oil companies. Now until someone comes up with a way to target them, it's pointless doing anything. It might make you feel good, but in terms of impact it'll do two-thirds of f*** all.

I think we're all going to have to accept that fuel prices are going to continue going up - new oil fields aren't being found, and those that are tend to be in places where it costs more to extract. As JC pointed out on Top Gear, you'd have expected a new generation of cars using sustainable (or cheaper) fuel sources to be on the horizon, but at the moment they're not.

We could always have a million people turn up in Trafalgar Square demanding the removal of our leaders in a peaceful revolution.

A million people marched against one of our various recent wars (I forget which one). It made no difference of any sort. The only thing that might work is if we actually had the capability to impeach/recall MPs, which I remember them talking about, but then hamstringing to the point where it was effectively useless.

Jon

Well they will not implement such a law because Nick Clegg and probably the entire liberal party would be up for recall.

If I lose my job again because of this £20b tax, I'm going to be mighty pissed off.

He'd better be right about it not causing job cuts.

Yesterday, the Times headline carried the spectra of even higher petrol prices as it assumed that the new tax will be passed on to the consumer. I’d like to know how Gideon will enforce his requirement that this should not happen. The oil companies could decide not to bother as much with us as well - so supply would be scarce.

I know Gordon Brown is a bit of a pariah, but didn’t he speak to the oil companies to get them to drop their prices in the past?

I suspect that the oil companies will pass on the full cost. It is not as if the public have any choice.

I think you are right on that one.