The rest of the UK may be looking at London and its congestion charge with a certain amount of amusement. The general premise being that the big-time Charlies in the smoke can afford to pay, with their fat salaries, flash cars and big houses.

Not only does that ignore a multitude of facts, it also overlooks the likelihood that once Mayor Ken has steamrollered his way through the streets of London, claiming success at every corner, local authorities throughout the land will follow his voracious lead and impose their own road taxes.

The implications for business are enormous, which is why London’s wholesalers have eventually reached the conclusion that they must act now. Too often in this country, impractical and anti-competitive laws are being imposed on business, in spite of feedback authorities receive (and ignore) through so-called consultation.

The government rides roughshod over the country’s commercial heartbeat and gives local authorities carte blanche to do the same. The Office of Fair Trading has also been accused of ignoring the views of industry, and the C-store sector has this week again called for the rekindling of the OFT’s investigation into the fairness of competition from the major multiples.

In the UK, we are attuned to accept a level of political negligence that seriously jeopardises our commercial interests. The people being most blatantly ripped off in rip-off Britain are the businesses that rely on their government for protection and support.