Looks like red diesel trouble ahead

BlowingOldBoots said:
I do not think you are correct.
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Wouldn't be the first time!

However, all the references to the UK importing around 40% of our diesel seem to trace back to a parliamentary Q&A reported in Hansard

Every other referenceI could find seems to suggest that the figure is barely a tenth of that.

I've no idea which figure is right though it
 
westhinder said:
Correct. Britain got the same temporary derogation as France, Belgium and the Netherlands. When the derogation ended, all except the UK complied and went on to use white diesel. There was no outcry, no surprise as it had been expected and communicated.
Customs officers in Belgium do spot checks from time to time on yachts, as they do on the roads, in order to see no red diesel is used in non-authorised vehicles/boats. Due to the UK's stubborn attitude I can be in trouble with Belgian customs as a Belgian citizen sailing a Belgian flagged yacht, simply because I have had to fill up with diesel in the Uk and so traces of red will be in my tank. I spent a happy four months last year sailing around Britain, so I had no choice but to use red diesel. My last receipt will be accepted as a valid excuse for one year, which ends in august. Trouble is, not all the red diesel will have been replaced by white by that time, so I will be in trouble if I get checked.
The UK government could make life a lot simpler for everyone who travels between our shores. I have a suspicion that blaming the EU is higher on its political priorities than finding solutions. Is that really in British yachtsmen's interests?
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The first question is why on Earth should it have anything to do with the EU. That's not the point of the organisation, and it is a apt example of what is fundamentally wrong with the way the EU has been implemented. There is absolutely no need to be grateful for a concession for something they shouldn't be concerned in in the first place.

I understand one of the reasons the UK government aren't interested is that it costs more to collect the tax than they ever collect. Only an idiot would consider a loss-making tax a good idea. Or a large oppressive bureacratic organisation trying to win a power struggle.

In your lengthy trip around Britain you may have noticed the coastline is a wee bit longer than the Belgian coastline. Again it would cost way more to convert diesel supplies all around the coast to supply white diesel than would ever be collected in decades.

Even with the so-called 60:40 concession, red diesel is as expensive as road diesel. In fact I find it cheaper to get white diesel in the ROI - but then transport is problematic and hardly an improvement in road safety.

I reckon we should just all boycott Belgium on principle. And keep pushing to win your pissing-contest. It'll only be another few tens of thousands of votes against the EU when the referendum comes, but every little helps. Enjoy the tax hike when you've got to cover for the loss of the UK 'contribution'.
 
haydude said:
How come one can buy road white diesel in Luxembourg at 1.10 Euros per litre, which is less than red diesel? The solution would be to charge a fair duty on all diesel, not just red and scrap red altogether!

Instead here our PM will find another execuse to blame the EU for his leadership failures!
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In some ways scrapping red would solve the problem & those commercial enterprises - such as builders farmers & fisherman could just claim the vat back. Trouble is vat is not the complete tax so those companies would be paying more than at present
Also if i buy red via my building co i would be buying it a lot cheaper than i pay at the marina. I suspect the same is for bulk buying farmers
The other problem in the poor old fishing industry. Many small fishing companies - including charter boats- are not vat registered so would not be able to claim back vat
If the tax on red diesel was made into a single tax rather than in 2 or 3 tax configurations ( could do the same for petrol) then the amount that could be claimed back would be easy to calculate.

Personally i could bear the cost of buying white as i have a yacht. ( although you would not think so if your saw my engine hour meter)but i am sure many crab fishers etc could not.

I do not think the issue between the eu & uk is a leadership problem & i can see the case presented by the eu for a standardised system throughout Europe( it would help Germany to apply an equal tax when they take over) but i think that we should resist in cases where hardship may prevail. Alternatively revise the common agricultural rules & fishing policies so our farmers & fishers can make some money ( or in the case of farmers - more money)

Better still dump the eu. Let the scots have home rule & join the eu then we can deal through the back door
 
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