Ahead of this week’s ‘Halloween Budget ‘which sounds like it will indeed contain many horrors for residents of the South Downs, I met Fair Fuel campaigner Howard Cox in Parliament to urge the Chancellor to avoid ramping up fuel costs in the upcoming Budget.
In a joint letter to Rachel Reeves, we highlight the potential negative impacts of a fuel duty rise on low-income families, small businesses, and the transport industry.
My particular concern that a rise in fuel duty would have a devastating impact on families and businesses in rural areas where for most a car is a necessity not a luxury. It’s all very well for Labour’s metropolitan elite drawn predominantly from urban areas with 24/7 public transport subsidised by our taxes but, representing a rural constituency, I know full well how important it is for residents not to be hit with an increase in fuel costs.
FairFuelUK’s analysis indicates that a 5p increase in fuel duty could add £160 to annual fill-up costs for an average family but that is likely to be much, much higher in countryside areas.
Under the previous Government, fuel duty was frozen for the past 14 years, benefitting Britain’s 37 million motorists and businesses. Increasing fuel duty now would feed into the prices of many other goods and services as it’s a key input cost.
As the country still grapples with the fallout from Labour’s decision to axe the Winter Fuel Allowance, the further threats to fuel duty place many elderly residents at risk of increased financial hardship and fuel poverty, making it even more challenging for them to stay warm during the winter months.
