Fancy paying more tax on petrol?

In July, when oil prices - and therefore the price at the pumps - reached record levels, David Cameron and George Osborne came up with a short-term tactic to score political points. They announced that there should be a variable tax rate on petrol so that when oil prices were high tax would fall and when petrol was cheap taxes would rise.

Today, oil prices have almost halved from their Summer high. Under the Tories, that means we would now be paying more tax on our petrol. Just as the price fall is beginning to put a little money back in our pockets - some of which we might save for Winter fuel bills - the Conservatives would take it away from us.

Once again David Cameron and George Osborne demonstrate that now is no time for a novice to be given the keys to the Treasury.