Petrol and diesel prices have been kept artificially high throughout Scotland and England for many years. Ridiculous levels of tax have hit hard at the great majority of people who have simply no choice BUT to drive to and from work.

No matter how hard Blair tries, more taxes will not reduce pollution levels or congestion as people will STILL have to drive to work. No matter how much protest comes from the environmentalists, they are NOT shouting at the right people, the United States and China are the worst polluters of all and they are doing nothing to curb their pollution problem.

Perhaps the millennium summit in New York is just another empty hall of promises, like the world climate summit was a couple of years ago. Big on words and photo opportunities but vanishingly small on action.