WE are paying too much for petrol. The Treasury is raking in more than its fair share in fuel taxes. And, as Shell's bumper earnings showed yesterday, the oil companies are making too much profit at our expense.

The oil companies have ample scope to reduce profits to a more equitable level and reduce the cost of motoring.

And in the Chancellor's Autumn statement next week, the Treasury has scope to reduce fuel taxes to a more equitable level.

If the oil companies refuse to bow to public opinion, then the might of the competitions authorities should fall on them, and fall hard.

If the Government refuses to bow to public opinion, then it will deserve everything it gets at the General Election next year.

That is the nature of our democracy. We elect governments to run the economy and set taxes, and every four or five years we pass judgement on their performance via the ballot box.

Long may that remain the case.

We have sympathy with the demands of activists in the People's Fuel Lobby, and we share their frustration at this Government's tardiness in responding to legitimate demands for action on the scandalously high price of petrol and diesel.

But we can not condone the actions they undertook in September, the inherent threat contained in their self-proclaimed 60-day deadline, or their plans to cause further disruption later this month if their demands are not met.

At all times governments must strive to achieve consensus. And legitimate protests and opposition have a crucial role to play in achieving consensus.

Blockades stretch the boundaries of legitimacy. They have more to do with coercion and intimidation than consensus.

We elect governments to determine what our economic policy should be, and we hold them to account.

Self-appointed protestors, elected by no one and accountable to no one, must never be allowed to usurp the authority of democratically-elected politicians.

The Government is right to draw up contingency measures in the event of a renewed bout of blockades.

It is vital that our hospitals, our schools and our transport system are maintained.

And it is vital that the priorities for who gets fuel in a crisis are determined by the Government, not by blockaders, erroneously claiming to be representing the will of the people and acting akin to Soviet commissars.