19 Jul 07
Has nobody noticed the price of fuel recently? Last week I paid £1.07 per litre for a tank of super unleaded. Seven years ago, when fuel prices first reached dizzy heights, Middle England staged a rebellion. There were go-slows, blockades of filling stations and a campaign so vigorous that even Gordon Brown took notice. This time, though, there's not so much as a whimper from the chattering classes.
Why? Our taxes are now among the highest in Europe and with interest rates on the rise you'd think people would be feeling the pinch. Could it be that the great British public has simply learnt to absorb high fuel prices? Have we stiffened our upper lip and taken it on the chin?
It is psychologically wounding to watch the price meter accelerate at a faster rate than the litres gauge. A full tank of super unleaded for the Focus cost £50 a year ago, whereas it now costs anything up to £59. That's galling, especially when you consider that a tank of juice is good for no more than 300 miles. That is the sad reality of life in a car that never betters 25mpg and has a tank capacity of just 55 litres.
