Paul

Tax yield - I do think this is the "best club" in our bag and I hope it is played up.

But, I still don't think there will be a MASS exodus of powerboaters. There will be an undoubted reduction in running hours, but large motorboats are still sold in countries where there is no red diesel.

Do you think your buddies in Swansea are a truly representative sample? - unlikely. If they are your boating/friends and aquaintances then their demographic profile is likely to be simlar to yours and there is an increased likelihood of them sharing your views. On Windermere, where I was until this Spring, many of the large boatowners don't take their boats out of the marina and the price of fuel is a non issue (There is one story, possibly apocriphal, that one particular boat owner has never taken their large Sealine out of its berth and had to get the Marina staff to take it around to the fuel pump as the heating system had run out of diesel.)

I bet the Treasury are well aware of the likely effect on tax yield despite their wishy/washy responses.

There will still be a British boat industry - a lot of production goes abroad anyway and suprisingly enough the Builders silence is deafening, if they were really worried wouldn't they be screaming by now, they probably recognise that its a done deal and are concentrating on changing their marketing strategy.

Oh dear, I'm beginning to sound a bit like Private Frazer from Dads Army - "we're doomed, we're doomed". Sorry about that but my opinion about the integrity of politicians ( particuarly this shower) drops daily. By the way I have signed the petition

Martyn

Living the dream