The cost of running a car has fallen in real terms - comparing 2012 with today inflation has increased prices and average pay by 50%.

In 2012 fuel was ~140p per litre - the price today is ~150p - 7% up vs inflation of 50%

VED for 2024 is £190 (cars below £40k). Increased by ~30% compared to inflation of 50% since 2012 - around £150 pa for a fairly average car (rates were emission linked)

government as ‘green fanatics’.

Governments are always tax fanatics

Hopefully they haven't altered the pre-March 2006 and historic vehicle concessions for my two gas guzzlers (Audi A8 £395, Triumph TR7 £nil).

<< ... they've proved so staggeringly incompetent over the past 14 years one won't be holding their breath. >>

I think you are being unjustly critical, GB. It's very easy for anyone to look incompetent in a situation they can do very little to change significantly. It follows that whoever gets elected will look incompetent, partly because they all promise many things which the electorate are daft enough to hope for.

Any people able to look competent in national government are also intelligent enough not to want the job, especially as they can get remunerated (ludicrously) more doing something else - often appearing similarly incompetent, as the Horizon thing has shown.