Fuel duty and VAT

[HiVis]

Obviously it can be avoided by not buying anything, but the definition of essentials varies by person.

It's regressive in the sense that someone on £20k a year who needs to run a car pays the same rate as someone on £200k a year who needs to run a car.

Thats another debate altogether though.

Then you make VAT on petrol zero rated and VAT on news cars 40%. Those buying expensive new cars pay considerably more VAT than those buying a second hand car where the VAT rate is only applied to the margin and not the whole price.