Come and support the Red Diesel campaign!

[Gludy]

I think the natural instinct of the government - with us currently holding the presidency etc is to allow Brussels to have it way on this one - I hope the polictical backlash just makes it not worthwhile for them. If we can get the complications of what would happen over and the fact it involves amountys of money that do not even register on any goverment radar ..... we have a hope.

The problem was a factor for me in the decision to get out of planing boats and into SD boats.

 

[Robih]

Paul,

I share your hopes; but I fear that there isn't a political backlash from making this decision. I can see the Gov't claiming the credit for "closing another tax loophole that benefitted the super rich in their £500,000 boats" - however incorrect that claim might be!

rob

 

[GC1]

It's all nonsense, those that can't afford their boats will go and new richer people will step in their place. If that was not the case then why is ANY motor boat manufacturer being represented at SIBS? So there you have it just the wrong people in the wrong boats at the moment, all change at will go on happily ever after /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif Oh! and the Tea rooms and businesses will get a richer clientel, did you tell them that?

Well I guess you have to pretend you are doing something, but I see this stirring up something that has been a big secret to most people (red diesel for boaters) and a backlash coming as to why it has taken so long. There is NO REASON AT ALL why a petrol boater should be taxed any different to a diesel boater. WHY have you not been campaigning to bring down the tax for petrol boaters over the years? All too late and bulsh!t trying to pacify head in the sand diesel MBM readers if you ask me /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

[Gludy]

I appreciate what you say - the backlash should come from the coastal communities hit and jobs lost but I doubt if it will make any difference.

 

[Col]

[ QUOTE ]
those that can't afford their boats will go and new richer people will step in their place.

[/ QUOTE ]

How so? Surely they would already have boats if they were inclined towards boating- Moreso if huge disposable income. Why would they wait for dearer fuel (cheaper boats??) eh?

 

[Gludy]

Did you not know - there is a secret pool of rich people who really want boats bt find it too cheap to boat at present ... so they are waiting for the price to increase and then they will buy boats..... mind you if the red causes a price drop because of lack of demand, they will simply have to hold back until something else makes it much more expensive so that they can feel like buying a boat again. .... I thought everyone knew about these people!!!

 

[Andrew_Fanner]

Aren't they called politicians? After all, TB plans to enjoy a pretty fat pension, paid for by dunning us...

 

[GC1]

New people are being introduced to boating all the time, those that have been brought up with it take it for granted, but there are now some Northerners venturing South and seeing that there is a life to be had and have then found boating /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Boats never appealed to me until a few years ago, I thought it was all millionaires who could do it, until I went to a boat show and realised that it would be possible us to afford one, now that is all history and we are luvving it /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Sgeir]

Simon, your point (on the video) about employment was well made - but was lost in the special pleading.

Images of your team driving about in a very large and expensive boat with the slogan "Save our Sport" has echoes of the pro-hunt campaign. It comes over to the rest of the public as a lot of rich selfish gits making special pleading for themselves. Except you're asking the non-boaty public for special favours and subsidies not open to other pastimes or "sports"(?).

I think that sort of approach will actually turn the bewilderment of the non-boating public to open hostility.

 

[Andrew_Fanner]

>>>
Except you're asking the non-boaty public for special favours and subsidies not open to other pastimes or "sports"(?).
>>>

I suspect there's a _lot_ more money available for football.

 

[Bodach na mara]

Ye gods, when will it get through that the "rebate" on red diesel is NOT a subsidy? Diesel (and petrol) for road use is subject to tax to pay for the roads. Boats do not use the roads and thus should not pay this tax. In fact, petrol for non-road use should also be road-tax free.

Fuel oil is sold for many other purposes road-tax free, e.g. agricultural vehicles, heating, electricity generation. Surely you are not suggesting they are also "subsidised"?

 

[whisper]

You are absolutely right. For some reason this argument is totally ignored. I reckon most people have become so used to paying for unjust/overbudget government costs that they no longer bother to fight for fair play.