Fuel Price review

[simondjuk]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19489908

About bloody time.  Will anything get done?  Doubt it.

[therealjr]

At the risk of being accused of defending my employers I'm a bit at a loss as to how supermarkets can be cited for preventing independants from keeping the prices down???

[k4blades]

There used to be an independent in Staveley but closed down. It couldn't compete with Morrisons, the supermarkets can use petrol as a loss leader, making up for it on other products.

[therealjr]

Same with the independant in Clay Cross shut now that T**** has opened next door. But That was my point. The independant would have wanted Morrisons/T**** to charge more so they could compete. Only way the supermarkets wouldn't be good for the consumer is if the drove all the local guys out of business and then with no competition put the prices up. But as they would still be in competition with each other it ain't going to happen.

[Slacker]

Where are the farmers and hauliers that protested against fuel prices when Labour was in government? Surely there wasn't a hidden agenda to their protests?

[k4blades]

The problem is that all the supermarkets copy each other.
If Sainsburys were selling milk for 10p a pint so would Tescos so as not to lose custom. If Sainsburys charge £5.00 for a loaf, so would Tescos, Tescos would charge £4.99 maximising profits.

Agreed that they do offer competition to the larger chains like BP, and can have a +ve on prices, but I think the main concern is that when crude oil goes up, pump prices respond immediately, when crude goes down, pump prices don't for a long time.

[k4blades]

Where are the farmers and hauliers that protested against fuel prices when Labour was in government? Surely there wasn't a hidden agenda to their protests?

Thats a good point, and there has been talk in the recent past of a repeat, which is why Osborne has held off on duty increases, but I think that was one of those things that snowballed and the public jumped on board.
just like what happened with NotW, but no-one gives a toss when Sun on Sunday starts a few weeks later.

[Pete]

Just another example of how capitalism is corrupt, immoral and ultimately will destroy anyone who does not worship it

[therealjr]

Trouble is Pete everything else (Communism, Socialism, Facism etc etc) has failed so what is the alternative?

[Pete]

I'll think up a new one 

[chesterfieldchris]

POST DELETED AT USER'S REQUEST

[k4blades]

The arguements from the oil companys are that the cost of getting it out of the ground is higher as they have to go further afield, more remote places such as the artic or deeper below the sea.
Also, oil is traded in $ so the exchange rate has a bearing.

Not that I totally accept their arguments, and lets not forget that the biggest part of the cost is duty / tax.

[Alsatian]

Not that I totally accept their arguments, and lets not forget that the biggest part of the cost is duty / tax.

..................and, apparently, the investigative body isn't even looking into these two areas!