Panic at the Pumps.

[strings]

What if the government want you to panic buy?

Last quarter’s growth figure has just been downgraded by the Office of Budget Responsibility to -0.3%. The OBR said they “still expect the economy to avoid a technical recession with positive growth in the first quarter of 2012, although another fall cannot be ruled out given the volatility of quarterly output estimates.” Total growth for 2012 is expected to be a shaky 0.8%, so the first quarter’s figure is estimated to be minuscule.

The implications for this Government of having a second consecutive quarter of negative growth are gigantic. It puts the UK into “technical recession”. It, almost inevitably, would herald more weeks of miserable headlines.

So, in the last few days of this quarter, there may be more of an agenda in encouraging people to panic-buy everything from cigarettes, pasties and stamps to £2m properties..."

Copied verbaitim from: http://sturdyblog.wordpress.com/2012/03/28/why-would-the-government-want-you-to-panic/

 

[Eastleigh Seagull]

talk about looking for conspiracy theories where there are none - people are only buying what they would do anyway and they are just buying it in a slightly - as in a few days - shorter time than usual. The income the govt receives from fuel duty is tiny in the grand scheme of things as well. If they had wanted to massage the economy then they would have done something major like brought forward the income tax changes or something more psychological like cancelling the fuel duty escalator even though rises from that aren't due till later in the year. Sure the comments coming from Cameron and Maude are pretty idiotic - but for this to be part of a grand cunning scheme to boost the economy for the last three days of tehequarter - please! Of course perhaps Unite and the rest of the Trades Union brothers are all in on the conspiracy too!

 

[Smythe]

The union/drivers have to give 7 days notice of any strike which they havnt yet so seems pointless all this panic buying.

 

[Albumen]

I've lived without a car for two years now, it's a piece of piss. And I save £1000 a year. Unless you have a disability theres not much excuse to have one in Brighton, great bus links and brilliant cycle paths.

 

[leigull]

I've lived without a car for two years now, it's a piece of piss. And I save £1000 a year. Unless you have a disability theres not much excuse to have one in Brighton, great bus links and brilliant cycle paths.

Wouldn't want to get rid of car completely. But I would like to get a job that's within walking distance from home, or accessible by public transport to minimise the use to very odd occassions I go anywhere long distance or off the public transport link at weekends

 

[Arthritic Toe]

talk about looking for conspiracy theories where there are none - people are only buying what they would do anyway and they are just buying it in a slightly - as in a few days - shorter time than usual. The income the govt receives from fuel duty is tiny in the grand scheme of things as well. If they had wanted to massage the economy then they would have done something major like brought forward the income tax changes or something more psychological like cancelling the fuel duty escalator even though rises from that aren't due till later in the year. Sure the comments coming from Cameron and Maude are pretty idiotic - but for this to be part of a grand cunning scheme to boost the economy for the last three days of tehequarter - please! Of course perhaps Unite and the rest of the Trades Union brothers are all in on the conspiracy too!

I'm not so sure now - there is a comment against that blog where someone has estimated the potential affect of a panic buy on fuel as high as +0.3% on the quarterly GDP. This could just make the difference between the UK being in a technical recession, or not, which is politically huge. They just may be seeing the Unite dispute as a gift from heaven.

 

[Return of the Rev]

I've lived without a car for two years now, it's a piece of piss. And I save £1000 a year. Unless you have a disability theres not much excuse to have one in Brighton, great bus links and brilliant cycle paths.

Having kids makes it harder without a car

 

[Albumen]

Having kids makes it harder without a car

Correct rev, harder but not impossible.

 

[gullshark]

So has anyone actually bought fuel without queuing yet? I've just hit the red zone on my car and even if it means going out at 2am...

 

[leigull]

"Dorset Police call for all petrol stations to temporarily close due to panic buying" @SkyNewsBreak

 

[Dave the OAP]

£1.50.9 at Esso by Bolney on teh A23 this morning for deisel...theiving bastards

 

[Mackenzie]

I've lived without a car for two years now, it's a piece of piss. And I save £1000 a year. Unless you have a disability theres not much excuse to have one in Brighton, great bus links and brilliant cycle paths.

Absolutely....however spare a thought for us country bumpkins.

 

[Mackenzie]

£1.50.9 at Esso by Bolney on teh A23 this morning for deisel...theiving bastards

Profiteering.

 

[Eastleigh Seagull]

or of course just dont buy petrol there and they will drop the price eventually - supply and demand...

 

[Gazwag]

So has anyone actually bought fuel without queuing yet? I've just hit the red zone on my car and even if it means going out at 2am...

I did in Bexhill town centre last night just before 9pm - Saturdays match would have seriously been in doubt had I not topped up.

 

[GoldWithFalmer]

I did in Bexhill town centre last night just before 9pm - Saturdays match would have seriously been in doubt had I not topped up.

Got a railway station in Bexhill though?

 

[Common as Mook]

I topped up in Twickenham last night around 9pm. No queue whatsoever. They had run out of diesel though so i had to use the premium stuff at £1.55 per litre!!!!

 

[pigbite]

talk about looking for conspiracy theories where there are none - people are only buying what they would do anyway and they are just buying it in a slightly - as in a few days - shorter time than usual. The income the govt receives from fuel duty is tiny in the grand scheme of things as well. If they had wanted to massage the economy then they would have done something major like brought forward the income tax changes or something more psychological like cancelling the fuel duty escalator even though rises from that aren't due till later in the year. Sure the comments coming from Cameron and Maude are pretty idiotic - but for this to be part of a grand cunning scheme to boost the economy for the last three days of tehequarter - please! Of course perhaps Unite and the rest of the Trades Union brothers are all in on the conspiracy too!

I can buy the idea that people are filling up earlier but what about all the feckless fatheads filling up as many jerry cans as they can fit in the back of their Chelsea Tractor?

Regardless of that, just the massive increase in short term demand has caused shortages, a panic mentality and an opportunity for unscrupulous traders to fleece punters. So much for the "keep calm and carry on" mantra.

Sure, the government may not have engineered this but are they complaining about the extra tax revenue and the deflection away from a number of issues such criticsm over the budget? Not likely.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

So has anyone actually bought fuel without queuing yet? I've just hit the red zone on my car and even if it means going out at 2am...

I did yesterday morning on the way back from the school run at the garage on the edge of Shoreham Beach - no problems. Just been to Sainsburys to get some shopping and the queue for fuel is just stupid !

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Sure, the government may not have engineered this but are they complaining about the extra tax revenue and the deflection away from a number of issues such criticsm over the budget? Not likely.

But there won't be extra revenue in the long run I wouldn't have thought. They are just collecting it early. I doubt very much if people that have filled up will choose to drive extra distances now they have lots of fuel - possibly the exact opposite.