Road charging

[Nigel]

Poll for Martin.

He wants to know if road charging was tax neutral, would you vote for it....

[James]

Define - i'm confused?

[Porker]

In "sensible person" speak, tax neutral should mean that the amount of taxation gathered as a result of Road User Charging would be no more than is currently collected through other forms of tax on road users.

It could mean something quite different in "politician speak" however.

Road User Charging is also a regressive tax in that the less well off pay as much as those with higher incomes. Moreover, I think it is arguable that those in less well paid occupations may have less choice about the times at which they use the roads, making it a double whammy for them.

Personally, I think it is unfair, expensive to administer, potentially unreliable, and able to be evaded by the unregistered, lawless minority. Equally, it seems likely to me that despite all of the above it will be embraced with open arms by governments of all colours for its tax generation potential.

[Nigel]

It will never be tax neutral, any British government just isn't capable, they can't help themselves...let alone this one.

Any form of road charging will lead to an increase in inflation, which will lead to mortgage rises.

They win hands down, they get more money on everything.

I should have added another catergory, where we shoot greenies, and people in London should be prevented from voting on anything.

I have noticed in the last week or so the green issues have been dropped (as they were shot to pieces), so the correct speak now is congestion !

[7db]

Any form of road charging will lead to an increase in inflation, which will lead to mortgage rises.

And presumably an erosion of real debt. A good thing for borrowers.