The transport secretary Patrick McLaughlin returned diesel to the news agenda last week by declaring it a mistake to have cut tax on the fuel, and saying it’s something the chancellor will look to address in due course – which probably means the Autumn Statement at the end of the year.
The reasons for the focus on diesel were entirely correct at the time, given that global warming was a worldwide concern, but diesel is now so ingrained in everything from company car tax policy to any goods or service delivered by a light commercial vehicle, that this repetitive dangling of the sword of uncertainty over diesel is beyond unhelpful.
We’ve been talking about the local air pollution issues attached to diesel (although there hasn’t been enough discussion about how much the latest technology cuts NOx and particulates) for long enough that the Government should stop harping on about the problem and actually set out clear policy solutions to give clarity for fleet and LCV operators going forward.
But instead, the favoured method of communication seems to be springing surprises on everyone in the autumn and spring statements – which, if the likes of the VED changes, not to mention the caravan and pie taxes, are anything to go by, will probably be ill-conceived with a liberal scattering of unintended consequences.
For an industry that thrives on certainty and plans large long-term investments reliant on the stability of regulation and policy, this ambiguous policy hinting is not very useful, to say the least.
