John Petrolhead Hutton

In his Budget last week, Alistair Darling clobbered motorists with new taxes on gas-guzzling cars. He was taking the unpopular decision, he explained, to encourage drivers to dump vehicles that pump out the most pollution. Some ministers are keen to replace traditional British-built ministerial cars with environmentally-friendly hybrid vehicles made overseas such as the Japanese-made Toyota Prius. But our local for MP Barrow, John Hutton who is also a senior member of Cabinet as the Business Minister has chosen to ignore the Government policy. He uses a 2.7-litre Jaguar XJ6 for travelling to and from Whitehall. His excuse is that he needed to be seen in a British vehicle to support domestic car manufacturers.

It would send out the wrong signal if ministers backed proposals that would mean importing more cars, he said.

Self-confessed "petrol head" Mr Hutton defended his decision to use the £40,000 Jaguar, telling a committee of MPs: "I support the fact that ministers can choose a hybrid car if that is what they want, but I chose British.

"I would like to see more UK hybrids and there is a real opportunity there for British manufacturers but I do not think that the answer is to force everyone to drive around in bubble cars."

But of course we all know that there are a host of cars made in the UK that are greener and less expensive than Mr Hutton's £40,000 2.7-litre diesel, which emits 214g/km of carbon dioxide.

Who knows perhaps he also has a petrol guzzling 4X4 stashed away to use on his day trips up to see his serfs in Barrow, just to help him look down on us common folk whilst he negotiates our potholed roads.
Is it perhaps a case of do as I say, and not as I do, or one rule for him and another for us common folk. Personally I feel that he should be made to travel by tube or bus to Whitehall like us mere overtaxed commoners have to.