John Redwood (Wokingham) (Con):
Given corporation tax, carbon taxes, the windfall tax, fuel duties and VAT, is not the bulk of the price at the pump, and of other fuels, now tax-based? Will my right hon. Friend remind us of how much is tax and urge the Chancellor to reduce some of those taxes to cut the cost of living?
Graham Stuart, Minister of State for Energy Security and Net Zero:
I thank my right hon. Friend for championing the consumer, as he always does. As he will be well aware, tax is a matter for the Chancellor, but the whole House will have heard his passionate call to make sure that taxes are held down to the lowest amount they possibly can be. That is one more reason why we cannot have the Labour party taking control of the country.
July 5, 2023
A quick body swerve by Mr Stuart effectively disappearing down his foxhole with a ânothing to do with me govâ. Okay, ask the Chancellor.
July 5, 2023
Strewth. On the basis of the vast tax increases this government has brought in he confirms Starmer would not be any different so letâs give him a go.
Canât be any more incompetent than a PM now blaming people with fixed rate mortgages for inflation. I guess he has never needed one.
July 5, 2023
Too much tax is a weight ordinary folk bear to carry heavy wasters in government.
July 5, 2023
Another evasive, non-answer.
Which is why Conservative voters can never be sure what they will be voting for.
July 5, 2023
Sir John, This is a great example of political talk at it’s best, and why nothing gets done by Parliament/Government. Just a polite why to ignore you and your question.
I do admire the way you keep trying to change the Government’s thinking to common sense but greatly fear you are fighting a loosing battle.
July 5, 2023
Another refusal to answer what ought to be a straightforward question, yet carries a political hand grenade.
Perhaps Sir John would list each tax (percentage?) to assist us see the true taxation income to the national waste of public money fund?
July 5, 2023
Hilarious:
Sunak and Hunt have raised taxes to their highest post-war level and are cynically using fiscal drag and stealth taxes to pull even more into paying ever higher levels of tax, yet Graham Stuart says that is why we cannot have Labour taking control.
We all know that roughly 65% of the cost of fuel is tax. VAT levied on fuel tax. They’ve got the nerve to tell the supplier to cut their profit margin (which they should) whilst refusing to cut the tax.
Do Ministers really think we’re fooled by the rubbish they spout? The fact is we can’t afford this Not-a-Conservative-Government.
July 5, 2023
Given they are spending money like pouring water down a drain (cost of that also rising) The Government need to claw back as much as they can in tax to pay for it all, I just wish they would be honest about it !
All tax allowances should rise with inflation every year so we do not get fiscal drag, no double taxation should be allowed at all, on any product or service, (Fuel being a prime example of such taxation) a tax should not be described/hidden as a levy/insurance or some other name.
All Government borrowing should have to go before Parliament and be voted on, and no spending should be passed off as “investment” (a Gordon Brown Favourite phrase).
Please can we have some honesty about Government finances and where it is spent at the very least.
July 5, 2023
He obviously didn’t know how much was tax-based! And he’s the guy in charge.
July 5, 2023
Perhaps our gracious host could explain how much worse it would be if a high tax, high spend party got into government, and the current differences between his party, and the opposition?
Because Iâm not sure I can see much difference between the two parties, given the current policies from the âconservativeâ government.
July 5, 2023
What Mr Stuart MP did not say was that the key to holding down taxes was to reduce government spending, by not doing much that they do badly and not burdoning the economy with open door immigration that loads the demand side disproportionately.
July 5, 2023
“What makes up the cost of a litre of unleaded petrol? Data analysis by the RAC” (google “…”)
Notice the price of the tenth of a litre Bio Content, (equivalent to 80.9 pence per litre); and the wholesale price of the petrol (equivalent to 50.5 pence per litre.
July 5, 2023
I am far from convinced that Labour would do a worse job than what this Government has managed to achieve, and at least, it would not be fraudulently claiming it is a ‘Low tax’ party.
July 5, 2023
“Friend remind us of how much is tax ……..”
So Stuart has ducked the question because tax is none of his business.
Pathetic.
July 5, 2023
Cannot have the Labour Party?
Ministers had better start getting their heads into the sunshine if the believe they have done enough are credible and Trustworthy enough to get the support of the British electorate. Because the haven’t and are failing on everything.
The list is endless but it is well documented on this site on a daily basis.
July 5, 2023
Well that was a non-answer. Out of interest what is the total tax % on fuel? Must be high as your right hon Friend couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud. Maybe he doesn’t know?
July 5, 2023
No Labour Party will be able to increase taxation. The Tories have left not one pip capable of squeaking. Even Coutts have to accept poor people as clients now, because Britain has been so comprehensively impoverished.
July 6, 2023
+1
July 6, 2023
LOL
July 5, 2023
Fobbed off ….again
July 5, 2023
Talk about ignoring the issue.
Parliament is ultimately responsible for taxation, and it is their failure in keeping the Chancellor in check, that has led to so many abuses on the British public in terms of soaring taxation.
July 5, 2023
Interesting that he didn’t answer the first part of the question – I suspect he didn’t know which is quite remarkable.
July 5, 2023
There ought to be an end on taxing cars in so many ways and I applaud any effort to curtail this . Lambasting tax payers in so many ways has given the Government a very bad reputation let alone the influence it has on industry and commerce .
July 6, 2023
They want us off the roads and onto cattle trucks
July 5, 2023
In what way did that answer the question?
July 5, 2023
So the Minister hears your call SJ but action always speaks louder than words. Especially those words from the Despatch Box.
July 5, 2023
I see from information released today that ticket offices within Stations are now up for closure, but tickets will still be sold somewhere on the concourse, by some staff wandering around doing other things at the same time.
Will the ticket sellers wear a different uniform to all of the other employees so that they can be recognised, or will prospective passengers have to play search for the seller.
Once again those who do not have, or cannot use on line facilities are being further isolated.
Ticket offices do more than just sell tickets, they are a centre for advice/information about train routes, different fares/ticketing, etc etc.
Yet another backward step under the guise of progress, money saving at the expense of Customer service.
July 5, 2023
For any government minister to try to pretend that low taxation is a reason to vote Conservative just shows what LIARS they are. This is a high-tax government and there is no way that they are going to scare me that Labour will be any worse. I will be voting Reform UK, as this government does not deserve to get re-elected.
They are also very stupid, since cutting fuel taxes, and VAT, would instantly cut the recorded rate of inflation, easing wage increase pressures.
July 5, 2023
We have had a tradition in the UK of the price being displayed being the price the consumer pays. This of course plays into the hands of those that like to use sleight of hand to confuse issues.
By that I mean there is the price the provider of goods and services receives for their efforts that is in most situations significantly less than the perception.
From the ONS(5/07/23) âFor petrol, at its current average price of ÂŁ1.04 per litre, just over 72% of the price will go to the exchequer in fuel duty and in Value Added Tax (VAT), leaving only around 28% of âwriggle roomâ for cutting the price to consumers when the price of crude oil falls.â I like the idea they call it âjustâ 72% goes to the exchequer. The reality on ONS reckoning a litre of petrol in the UK is âjustâ 29p â who is the rip of merchant?
It is a bit like Cooperation tax going from 19% to 25%, that meant the exchequer was receiving 31% plus more tax from industry than it was before. It was suggested on these pages that the taxman only received 6% more, so having no effect on inflation. With the taxman receiving 31% more were does it âgoâ
Like with everything else we need more transparency it our daily life. I would at times suggest that everything has its price displayed without tax, for this then to be added on purchase price so everyone gets to feel what the Government is taking out of their pockets. Can you imagine the uproar if the consumer had their energy bills net, and the Government take shown as a separate item. But, then again I am a bit more used how it is in the US
The people in the UK are kept as âmushroomsâ by the political class
July 5, 2023
It would be nice, really nice at election time those that do the promising of this or that also had to detail who and precisely how their promises would get paid for. Then at the end of the day each and every MPâs pay was linked somehow to the promises they made.
At the time of the inception of HS2, the contract went to the cheapest quote, now its some 10 times more with mealy mouthed excuses. Lack of transparency when spending someone else’s money. Its everywhere that Governments have their hands on. We only have Sir John trying to nudge a little sensibility from these prolific wasters.
July 6, 2023
and there ‘ain’t mushroom left for more taxes – unless….
July 5, 2023
It’s a shame you can’t demand – ‘Answer the question!’
Our parliamentary system is utterly useless.
July 5, 2023
Sir John looking for your latest tweets
Chris Rose
@ArchRose90
Conservative | Likes the Union & Brexit
23h
In honour of the NHS 75th birthday tomorrow. I plan to mark the occasion by spending 90% of my money on unnecessary junk. Being 5 hours late for everything & blaming the other person for not being patient enough.
All whilst telling myself that Iâm the envy of the world.
July 5, 2023
Why is it John that after you ask your questions of the Minister at the time, almost without fail, they always agree with what you say, and agree you are virtually always right, but they then take no bloody notice of your ideas, carry on as normal in their own sweet way, and nothing changes or happens !
Has anyone else noticed this ?
July 6, 2023
+1
July 6, 2023
YES! it is a sign that however correct and pointed the errors in commonsense and policy are, the prevailing decisions are based on WEF, EU, USA and other international forces and billionaires’ wishes.
The spokesperson indicates a preference to keep their sinecure.