This is the most retarded story I've ever heard, and it comes from MCN (http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/News/newsresults/mcn/...EPI-100630)   If we boycott these stations, nothing will change.  Petrol certainly wont fall back to 69p because it's almost ALL tax!  We're campaigning to the wrong people, it's the governments that need sorting out.     Article reads...   "The Motorcycle Show Traders Association has launched a campaign encouraging consumers to boycott petrol stations owned by the two biggest oil companies, Esso and BP. The Association wants all consumers to stop buying fuel from Esso and BP stations for the remainder of 2008, reasoning that if the pair aren't selling petrol, they would look to encourage customers back by cutting the price of their fuel. If that happens, other petrol stations would effectively be forced to follow suit, and cut their price. Customers should only go back to Esso and BP once the price per litre falls back to around 69p, the MSTA says."                                                                                                                                                                             

If enough people take up this campaign then the oil companies will suffer and start loosing money, then they in turn would have reduced profits which would reduce their tax payments to the government. Then the oil companies would be on our side and would lobby the government. I say give it a go, if we don't do anything we are lost. I wish I could take the time off work to back the truckers tomorrow.                                                                                                                                                                             

hmmmmm, good point.  Not sure if it'll work tho                                                                                                                                                                             

dont forget that lots of innocent people might be made redundant                                                                                                                                                                             

Reminds me of that protest a couple of years ago where we all had to switch our lights off at the same time to show the government our disdain... I almost crashed going round a corner!!                                                                                                                                                                             

I agree with you both... something must be done but I am not sure this is the way to do it. As Matt says, there will be MANY innocent casualties before the Government even considers its position, let alone acts on it.                                                                                                                                                                             

Agree totally with Matt - according to the Inland Revenue's website, the total amount of tax on fuel is a little over 81%!!   This means that out of every litre of petrol, say £1.20 worth, only around 22p is actually the cost of the fuel.   This cost includes extracting the crude oil and refining it into the base petrol.  This is delivered to each individual fuel company where they put in additives, cleaners, octane boosters etc.  It is then transported from here and delivered to the petrol stations.   And all this for 22p a litre!!  I personally think this is brilliant!  When you consider the fact that in the last ten years the cost of oil has risen ten fold, from around £15 a barrel to £150, this is truly amazing.   Am I happy with the cost of fuel?  No, of course not.  It often costs over £20 to fill the bike up now and the car, which is a diesel (another 10p tax remember) has a 70 litre tank!!   If people wanted to band together and protest against the price of fuel I would definitely stand up to be counted - but don't target the fuel companies, it's the government that makes our fuel so expensive.   (Of course, a cynic could argue, possibly quite rightly, that if we wanted fuel tax to be reduced, what would we accept in return?  More tax elsewhere or poorer health service, education, public services etc etc?)                                                                                                                                                                             

I believe there are 'non-critical' areas where cuts could be made but unfortunately while the vast majority of the population buy into the 'carbon myth' it will be hard to start a rebellion against anything which is seen to be harming the environment. Actually, I have just realised I am not educated enough to be taking part in a political debate so I am going to delete this posting....                                                                                                                                                                                 

bugger!