Brits moot PAY-PER-USE road charges.

I am completely against this purely on principle. It is an insidious and underhand form of taxation.

The British have run out of cute hoor ways of taxing cigarettes out of existence, beer out of existence, public transport fares are sky high, council tax is sky high, and its impossible to raise income tax without causing an outcry.

The Brits have'nt a clue how to tell their government to take a running jump. Fortunately in Ireland, we still have an ability to do that.

I would be all for road usage payments in the likes of cities and conurbations such as Manchester, Liverpool, London, Leeds, Birmingham/West Midlands, Glasgow, Newcastle, Sheffield, where you park your car on the outskirts, and get a train into town. There are quite a few places in the UK where people can live without a car.

But please consider the likes of people living in Cornwall, Wales, Scotland. Public transport there is sparse. I would argue penalise the hell out of motorists in the likes of areas where there is a viable alternative, Singaporean style. Have a COE scheme instead for these areas (Certificate of Entitlement), and that COE becomes tied to the particular address NOT to the car. Otherwise you'll have a Dubliner registering their car at their Grannys address in Wexford. The COE coupled with a road user charge would reduce congestion enormously. However, for the likes of low populated and isolated regions, I would argue that should be subsidised to reduce isolation.

I am deeply concerned with this move from a personal freedom point of view. I am for a National ID card, since it will enable the UK and Ireland to fully participate with the Schengen agreement, and the fact that neither country has one has prevented us from taking part to date.

I am deeply concerned that the Government must be running out of ways to raise money over here, and are looking to target the most screwed bunch of all....the motorist. And they are extremely suspicious. And rightly so.

Because if they can get away with this, what next?

I am not joking when I seriously believe that if the UK Government could tax a vagrants cardboard box, they would serve it with a summons for not paying council tax. At least, despite Irelands higher cost of living, we are a little bit more humanitarian when it comes to taxation.

Road users pay of the order of 500% more to the government than they get back. I would be happy of a fraction of that went back into the railways, but NO......not here.

The Government is like a packet of condoms, It protects a bunch of pricks, and keeps you safe while your being screwed.

It just reminds me of what I warned my mates in Ireland pre smoking ban, and we were having a few pints, and I was merrily sucking a John Player Blue.

"It might be a month to go before it happens, but you like your booze as much as I like my fags"

"Yeah" *(Confused frown)

"Well guys, remember where you heard it first, within 2 years I predict Norwegian style alcohol prices and excise duties. They can't touch us smokers anymore, so lads......your next"

Spare me this bollox about the common good either. Thats rubbish. Or environmental issues. Its just another cute hoor window dressed way of saying I am going to financially rape you, but you are making me smile while you do it. Your just using KY Jelly to soothe me and butter me up instead of spit and shove.

Just remember, Tony Blair is Maggie with a smile. Maggie Thatcher was'nt liked by a lot of people because she called a spade a spade. Tony Blair is sweetness and light on the outside, but hes Palapatine through and through (apologies to those who have not seen Star Wars)