The price of fuel is at an all-time high of about 120p per litre at the pump. Before VAT (now 17.5 per cent), the price would be 99p and before fuel duty of 70.3p, the price would be 28.7p.

This is not much up on 28.4p from 2007, when we saw the fuel protests when petrol and diesel cost about 85p per litre.

So of the £1.20 per litre you pay at the pump, 91.3p (76 per cent) goes to Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne (Con) and David Laws (Lib Dem) at the Treasury in this coalition Government.

They are both together thinking about increasing our VAT and definitely on petrol and diesel.

The previous Labour government never increased VAT, unlike the Conservatives who created it, and last year Labour decreased VAT to 15 per cent to stimulate spending during this world-wide recession brought on by the greed of city bankers and speculators.

Unfortunately you are now unable to condemn their idea of a VAT increase at the No 10 Downing Street website because they have closed your right to sign the online petition at petitions.number10.gov.uk But you can inform Mr Osborne by emailing him why we don’t need any more VAT, especially on petrol and diesel, at ministers@hm-treasury.gov.uk Richard Smyth, Bishopthorpe Lane, Copmanthorpe, York.