TWO unconnected things really got my goat this week – the VAT increase and cycling. Yes, I know there is a huge budget deficit and we all agreed to share the pain, bla bla bla... but 20 per cent is just too high.

It means that for every major bill you have, an extra one fifth will be added on to go to the Government to compensate for years of economic ineptitude by various regimes. Add this to the swathe of other high taxes we have to bear, then you may well ask yourself how you are going to cope.

Of course, the Government – as all Governments do – are picking on the fish in the barrel here. The honest taxpayer who always coughs up. There will, however, no doubt be an increase in the huge blackmarket of tax evasion which involves people telling you with a wink: “I’ll take cash guv.”

I do hope the authorities clamp down on this, otherwise it will be the law-abiding citizens who suffer by having further increases imposed as a result of the shortfall caused by tax dodgers.

I seethed about all of this as I drove through High Wycombe in the sunshine, avoiding the multitude of reckless cyclists who either failed to signal, or weaved carelessly in and out of traffic or who emerged suddenly on the road after flying off the pavement.

The main reason for this is there is no imperative for them to be trained in the Highway Code or to be regulated because they pay no road tax.

So rather than smash us all with extra VAT, can’t Osborne start imposing new taxes on cycling? It would make the roads safer and be a wonderful way of cutting the deficit.