having a moan

[wendilla]

We are all up in arms over the price of petrol and diesel and most of us have to buy it but we don't have to buy cigarettes so what that Brown should do is put fags up 20p and bring petrol down 20p. People would be a lot healthier as well .We don't need fags but we do need petrol. What do you say Probably get a load of back lash but that's my opinion. Rant over.

[4getmenot]

but most people dont Have to buy petrol, I know I could walk most places but choose not to

[Octavius]

Your sums don�t stack up in the long term.
Have you considered the five year treasury yield on your proposed fiscal policy, or is it just an attempt to gain motorist votes whilst alienating the smoking population? Perhaps Income Tax should go up to subsidise the motorists? Or would that just benefit the drivers that don�t pay income tax? What about the people that smoke but don�t drive? What about the people that smoke and drive � no initiative to quit in your policy is there?

[terambulan]

I work in a grocery/gift shop and it amazes me at the amount of water we sell (40% of sales) when its free in the tap. Cost for cost I think a bottle of water is dearer than petrol?

[aka pixi]

why cigarettes? why not beer or junk food? I cant see putting price of fags up would stop people smoking and therefore be healthier and why should smokers who maybe dont drive have to fork out more money cos of people who do drive.

[wendilla]

I am not having a go at the smoking population as I used to smoke myself till 10 years ago.I am saying that this is where the tax should go on to as we can do without smoking .SIMPLE yes and not all people own cars but the cost of public transport goes up taxis ect.

[Tizzi247]

I'm an ex-smoker, I totally agree with terambulan. Bottled water is a total waste of money and tastes no difference to tap water. Plus, if everyone stopped buying bottled water, it would help the environment immensely - perhaps that's the next thing Gordon Brown should think about!

[aka pixi]

well we could do without beer or junk food too and probably loads of other things

[littlefreak]

It's a good idea.

But I'm not really too experienced in politics and taxes, i'm only 16.

[terambulan]

Am hopeless at metrics......please someone price bottled water; 500ml @ 99p is the price of our water. How does that stack up with petrol prices?

[redcrx]

ok so if everyone can do without smoking and pay tax that way, what would you suggest it goes on once those that cant afford to smoke start quitting?

Would the tax on fags go up higher and higher to cover those that are no longer smoking? and what if 90% of smokers quit? what then?

the taxes need to be allocated to the relevent areas. If you drive and cause damage to roads then pay your tax and fuel tax to cover it, the further you drive, the more wear and tear you cause, the more tax youll pay.

and yes, i do have a car and i do hate the price increases as much as the next person

[snagged]

Equates to �1.98p per litre of bottled water. Unleaded fuel where I am is �1.19 per litre. Bargain!

[Octavius]

The cost of getting water to and from your home averages about 20pence per litre whether you use it or not � unless you are metered, the average cost of a single litre of bottled water is about 1.10ppl. Petrol currently outstrips this at a UK average of 119.51ppl. But its not far off.

But the true cost of bottled water depends where it comes from, a bottle of Fiji water for example, uses nearly seven times as much water to make it than you actually drink. Not to mention carbon footprint, fossil fuels used in production/transportation and greenhouse gasses caused by packaging processes.

Buying smaller bottles of water does not make economic sense as you will effectively be paying about �2 per litre.

[snagged]

Just to add... I paid �6.20 for a pint of Guinness and a pint of Fosters last night :o(

[Octavius]

About �5.45 a litre!

[snagged]

Jeez... I'm going over to unleaded lol

[Octavius]

Or you could try some Gran Patron tequila for about �232 ppl, or your average bottle of Sainsbury�s �3.99 vino for �5.32 ppl.

[snagged]

or... give up drink and fags all together and go for some 'Class A' instead pmsl

[terambulan]

Blimey Snagged, where's ur drinking hole..........The Dorchester?

[snagged]

Sadly no... at least I'd get 'quality bar nibbles'...

Near Reading in Berkshire... terambulan, how much would those drinks cost where you are?

[Barmaid]

Snagged for PM!!!!

I don't buy bottled water (used to have to for the cats), but now I have a water filter which does me just fine. I don't like tap water here, it's too hard and everything gets coated in limescale.

Gordon Brown has got me either way - I have scaled down my working committments so I largely work from home - thus less expense on car or petrol. However, I drink gallons of coffee and smoke far too many fags.