As some of you are aware, I have been out of the country (uk) for a while. On returning (next month) I was a bit gauled to notice that petrol has taken a hike to nearly 1 pound per litre..... it was around 65 only 2 years ago which seems a big increase.

Now it would appear that my car tax is double also at a wapping 210 quid. How did this happen? Is anyone out their in posession of a car which isn't so much and can it tow a boat at 60 mph? Is there going to be more fuel protests? How do poorer earners live?

Oh, and incidentally - how come British troops are still in Iraq?I thought everyone was against it, including the troops. Everybody else in the world thinks it is just our American friends. Why hasn't the prime minister been shot?

And those crime prevention cameras aren't much use at catching burglars (who hide in shadows, surprise, surprise), but they are very good at spotting people who double park for 30 seconds while taking the shopping out of the car, and then sending them a £100 bill...And we will all be watched via a biometric identity card as soon as we need a new passport, too, your DNA will be on record so it is likely you won't be able to get heath insurance if your genes aren't perfect (of course the government will sell the info - (they sell all the other data they get from us) and you will be hauled in for crimes you have nothing to do with because your DNA will be all over the scene but the actual person who did it wore gloves and a mask, and the police won't bother actually solving crimes by traditional methods any more...

I'd stay where you are, Bumble...Tax is now higher here than it has been since the 70's, but it is all done in secret, rather than on income, so you end up paying tax on your tax, even. I'd say kick them out, but the next lot will be just as bad.

Its called taxing the poor !!!!! , if you are too poor to buy a new car you pay more tax , simple !!!!

When the emission related duties came in they listed all engine numbers of cars and models that would get better rates , then abitarily decided to do it by date of registration , so both my wifes car and mine had exactly same spec as those eligible but taxed higher . I wrote to Vehicle excise bampots pointing this out , but guess what they didn't even bother to reply !

Well done GB & TB guess whose not gitting my votes (and for many other reasons)

They will be bring back extra tax on boats next !

Peruvian Earthworms for PM!!

Oh yes, why has so much been spent on the health service - record amounts, but hospitals are laying off staff that the country has got qualified, who then seek jobs in hospitals overseas so other countries get the benefit of our doctors that our taxpayers have got qualified, only then for the govement to employ people from overseas (and not so wealthy economies which have a poorer education system) to work of the NHS. Sounds like the govement is in the export business. I wonder what kick backs they're getting? Well, since the party treasurer didn't even know he had loans financing his parties activities there be no chance on find out on this one.

About time the biggest monoploy in the country had corporate governence to proctect the man in the street - and that is the business of politics.

The crux of this budget marker of zero tax for the'new' hybrid engine cars and same rate for most other with a massive rate for the 'gas guzzlers' might seem like an unfair competitive advantage for the makers of cars with the approved hybrid engines..... these are Honda and Toyota. Surely we have no interest in giving these manufacturers a hand, or do we?

http://www.iht.com/articles/1997/01/30/toy.t_0.php - http://www.iht.com/articles/1997/01/30/toy.t_0.php

That was back in 97 - with such investment on the table I find it unlikely Toyota etal wouldn't do all it takes to protect it. Well they can thank new labour for a big helping hand in getting their product of the ground.

what i dont like is the parent who insist on driving their kids to school in their 4x4s when school is a 10 min walk away! (this is in london so it must take at least 20 mins for them to drive the distance) they just clog up they roads and normally its some insane mother behind the wheel who thinks she owns the road and refuses to check her mirrors before reversing even tho (coz she is outside a school!) there are loads of little kids wandering round!  i have nearly been taken out a couple of times and i have seen it happen to others so its not just me. they are absolute fools! it really winds me...and im grumpy at the mo anyway coz i haven't been sailing for 2 weeks so anything i can rant about is good to vent the stress

ho hum thats me done anyway...

Visit the Web site..... http://omrlp.brinkster.net/Manicfesto2005.asp - http://omrlp.brinkster.net/Manicfesto2005.asp

You have got to love the manifesto: "Our team of experts has decided that Income Tax has not proved popular with the public and will therefore be abolished. It was started in order to finance the Napoleonic war in 1799 and we now believe that the time is right to announce the cessation of hostilities with Napoleon. Some of the money left in the coffers will be used to fill in our part of the Channel Tunnel in case no one has mentioned it to the French. Any remaining money will be strategically placed on a horse at the 3-30 at Haydock Park at odds of at least 12/1 in order to see us through until the next election."

And my favorite: "We will issue a 99p coin to save on change."

I did not. I did not because I none of the parties, who had candidates in my area of residence represented any change to the status quo I considered benificial to myself or the greater populous.

I also hoped (nievely I know) that a none vote would be considered as voter apathy and questions would be asked as to why so many people do no vote. I was a fool because the conclusions instantly drawn was that voter apathy was due to people not 'understanding politics' (frankly insulting) and it not being 'accessible enough' for the younger generation..... solution, throw money at some Labour sponsor to develop online/.mobilephone/internet etc voting scheme.

In the previous labour landslide I went to the polling booth to register my 'none vote/ will to not vote/ abstension (spelling) and I found there was no such recognision which to me at that time said much. I have subsequentally moved to a foreign country and now pay my tax to people who cannot (due to public will) use the money to further their friends/ and their own interests.

Brtitian is a sad place for people starting out in life, and an even sadder place for those who are not players of the bigger capitalist game, but if you have property, a solid job and a good motivation to live, I see little place for complacency. Problem in the UK is too many people moan with nothing to moan about..... which marginalses the real complainers....... the true strugglers. I just wish middle England could count their blesssings rather than read the Mail and moan all day about things which come back to them 5 fold. - For all of you........... you should see how things are in a place where people can still remember what it is like to not be able to eat.!!!! 

I voted purely for the reasons I said beforehand, I won't vote in England (where I live now) because it won't make a difference to my life....... How many people can tell the difference between Pepsi, Coke and Tesco Coca-Cola, the same applies to politics, it's not what you say, it's how you brand it!

Pepsi all the way!!!!!!!!

Should hold a vote on this, stuff the politics