Campaigner calls for Labour Government to prevent any Autumn Budget rise in Fuel Duty

A fuel campaigner has called on the new Labour Government to prevent any rise in Fuel Duty in the forthcoming Autumn Budget.

Howard Cox, founder of FairFuelUK, suggested that drivers are still being exploited at the pumps, accusing fuel supply businesses of dishonest pricing.

He highlights that diesel faces particularly aggressive profit margins. Despite wholesale prices for petrol and diesel being nearly identical at £1.21 per litre, retail diesel prices average 5p more, at £1.49 per litre.

There are now calls from Cox to insist that the FairFuelUK’s PumpWatch initiative be legally enforced to curb unchecked pricing practices in the fuel supply chain.

The fuel campaigner has questioned when politicians will acknowledge the plight of the UK's 37 million drivers and the negative impact on the economy from excessive pump prices. He has called for a reduction in Fuel Duty and the implementation of PumpWatch to benefit consumers and small businesses, thus boosting economic growth.

Cox said: “Drivers continue to be ripped off at the pumps, and yet another Government allows greedy fuel supply businesses to get away with dishonest pricing. Diesel, in particular, is subject to targeted higher unchecked profit-taking. Petrol and diesel wholesale prices are virtually the same today at £1.21 per litre, but retail diesel averages 5p more at £1.49 per litre.

"When are our clueless elected national politicians to wake up to the UK’s 37m drivers and our struggling economy needlessly being hit with some of the highest pump prices in the world? Cut Fuel Duty and make PumpWatch work for consumers, and small businesses in order to boost the economy. Is anyone in the economically out-of-touch anti-motorist Government listening?”