36.4% of 3,678 sole traders, including bricklayers, plumbers, electricians, and others across the UK, have told FairFuelUK in an online survey that current pump prices could drive their businesses to the brink of collapse unless Rachel Reeves takes immediate action to reduce pump prices, specifically diesel prices.
Howard Cox, Founder of FairFuelUK, states: FairFuelUK and its 1.8 million supporters urge the Government at the very least to commit to maintaining a freeze on fuel duty for the entire duration of this Parliament.
More crucially for the economy, 95.4% of 78,933 respondents in the FairFuelUK opinion poll, representing the UK’s 37 million motorists and small businesses, call on Rachel Reeves to reduce fuel duty immediately, eliminate the unjust VAT on fuel duty, and ensure that pump pricing remains fair, honest, and transparent through the establishment of a PumpWatch regulatory body with the authority to enforce compliance.
The Chancellor dismisses sharp rises in petrol prices and energy bills as mere ‘global turbulence.’
However, numerous countries worldwide, such as France, India, and Italy, are recognising the financial sense in supporting drivers amid soaring pump prices. They are capping pump prices, cutting fuel taxes, and ensuring secure fuel supplies.
Rachel Reeves appears to be overly influenced, if not controlled, by Ed Miliband’s unfeasible Net Zero agenda, and remains determined to uphold the 5p increase in the Autumn Budget.
She is either neglecting her responsibilities or acting ideologically by failing to do what her role requires: preventing inflation from rising, protecting jobs, supporting GDP growth, and maintaining consumer spending. It is her duty to implement what is widely recognised as fiscal common sense. Reducing transport fuel costs would enable the economy to thrive.
The Chancellor and any sensible economist in the Treasury must promise to keep fuel duty frozen for the duration of this Parliament. However, even more beneficial to the economy and small businesses, she must cut fuel duty now, remove the immorally levied VAT on fuel duty, and ensure that pump pricing is fair, honest, and transparent through a PumpWatch regulatory price monitoring body with legislative authority.
