Sir Humphrey lives and reigns

[Gwylan]

I've just spent some time wandering through the stuff around the 'red diesel' fiasco.

Some of it reads just like a script for 'Yes, Minister'

What a complete shambles this is going to be.

 

[Heckler]

I've just spent some time wandering through the stuff around the 'red diesel' fiasco.

Some of it reads just like a script for 'Yes, Minister'

What a complete shambles this is going to be.

Yup
dopey minister being briefed and thinks she is doing us a favour instead of getting on the Belgies case!
Stu

 

[maxi77]

Yup
dopey minister being briefed and thinks she is doing us a favour instead of getting on the Belgies case!
Stu

I suspect it is more about avoiding the likelyood of the boss, Call me Dave, having to buy of the Europhobic party members after a hefty fine from the EU.
Hence the anic announcement

 

[Burnham Bob]

yes its a complete pig's breakfast. the EU is going to rule against us so HMG is pretending that we only sail in UK waters and can use good old british red diesel as of course who wants to sail anywhere else?

they are just trying to avoid a complete climb down - and maybe when it's a good day to bury bad news red diesel will be quietly taken out and shot with a press release spinning a positive line about harmonising with the rest of europe for the benefit of our leisure sailors!

the only legitimate users of red diesel are fishermen and it would be much easier to give them a dispensation to avoid duty on white diesel rather than keep red diesel in marinas where the majority of users are leisure sailors anyway.

if only HMG would sort it out now.

 

[Gwylan]

On Thursday and in a sort of Meldrew moment I wrote to my MP and my MEPS. To date, Saturday evening, I have only received one response.
This was from Mr Farage, well one of his minions, and contained a prepared diatribe with a bit of 'cut and paste' about red diesel.
Monday will see me making an appointment to talk to my MP at his next surgery!

 

[blackbeard]

This thread title is unfair to Sir Humphrey who was, in his way, an intelligent and clever man. Quite unlike, therefore, whoever was responsible for the present situation.

 

[theoldsalt]

.......the only legitimate users of red diesel are fishermen......

I don't think that is true. What of farmers and all the plant machinery powered by red diesel.

The original purpose of duty was for road use. For other uses the red dye was added to show that no duty was charged (ie non road use).

So I think boat owners should be just as entitled to duty free red diesel as other users.