The Joys of Fuel Taxation....

We're the fuel tax capital of Europe
I do not want to get involved in pointless debates about semantics or whether our fuel is most expensive, highest taxed etc..  I just want to simply address an issue that seems to miss many people.
Have you noticed how all the local, regional and national government authorities and agencies have cut their services due to cut budgets?  I am not an economist but I suspect that in real terms, overall, this has been happening since the reign started of the wicked queen of Downing Street (Margaret Thatcher for those that have only just returned from a time warp experience).
Why would this be so?  Well, apart from consistently rising unemployment since that time, revenue to the Exchequer has been falling, overall, due to something like 75% of smokers from that period having given up smoking.  That is an awful lot of cash missing from the governments revenue.  A favourite saying of mine is that true patriots are smokers.  We alone pay for the NHS, with a surplus, from the taxation we pay for our pleasure.
So when revenues dropped, taxation on the remaining smokers has increased in % terms and a larger burden has fallen on fuel taxation to replace the shortfall.  The do-gooders in society are still plugging away at the 'no smoking' agenda, persecuting the true patriots, and intimidating them into stopping paying tax via their lifestyle pleasure.
Everyone hates the 'bible bashers' that persecute non-christians with threats of hell and damnation and this species has radically declined in number over the years - only to be replaced by 'smoker-bashers' who preach a similar message with threats of death and disease.  Non of which has been proved scientifically to be true but is a mere statistical whimsy.  Closer to the truth is the scientific fact that everyone who has died or suffered due to cancer have all breathed air!!! But I digress.
Fuel taxation is a (if not the) main provider of revenue for this nation.  If it were not so high, then something else would be.  Maybe more cash cow speed cameras?  Seeing we are supposedly a nation suffering the joys of obesity maybe a fat tax? or a burger tax? Kebab duty?
Men, women, and young people, all around the country, from every class and situation are protesting at 'the cuts' - imagine how much worse those cuts would need to be if fuel tax was reduced?  Cash cow speed cameras, fat tax, burger tax and Kebab duty would become a reality.
Personally I agree with higher fuel taxation.  There I have said it.  But hate fuel taxation.  I used to love driving, I have done it for a living, I have been a driver for almost 40 years and I am reduced to not being able to afford to run a car anymore.  I have one at the moment which is used for food shopping.  £10 of fuel lasts about 3 months.  But if the government didn't raise taxes by this method it would just move the burden elsewhere.  Those that use their cars most should pay most too.  However I do agree with reducing rates for commercial vehicles.  I suspect I will be well hated for saying that commercial vehicles are NOT cars used by salesmen etc..  If they want reduced rates then let them drive car derived vans.
If the option is between losing services and raising fuel taxation, then raise it.  I would rather be a caring society than a driving society.  We can always return to horse and cart (not to mention shank's pony), we cannot return to life those who have died because of illness, disability and cold and who were neglected in their hours of need!!