Relief for drivers, as Chancellor George Osborne scraps 3p a litre rise in fuel duty due in August
BREAKING NEWS: Relief for drivers in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire as fuel duty frozen for rest of year
Chris Bishop
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
3:21 PM
Hard-pressed families received an unexpected boost today when Chancellor George Osborne announced that fuel duty would be frozen for the rest of the year, cancelling a planned increase in August.
It came after rival supermarkets signalled a price war at the pumps, pledging to slash 2p offf the cost of a litre from tomorrrow.
This afternoon, Mr Osborne told MPs the £500m boost to motorists could be paid as a result of departmental savings across Whitehall, the Treasury said.
Announcing the measure to cheers from Tory benches in the Commons, Mr Osborne said fuel duty would now be 10p a litre lower than under the plans inherited from Labour.
“We are on the side of working families and businesses and this will fuel our recovery at this very difficult economic time for the world”, he said.
Norfolk MPs have been lobbying against the increase, arguing people living in rural areas of East Anglia were already penalised by higher prices.
After the announcement, South West Norfolk MP Elizabeth Truss said: “I am delighted by the chancellor’s decision. I have been pressing the Treasury on a freeze in fuel duty and this will be a welcome announcement for residents and businesses.
“It will ease the pressure on household budgets and company finances, helping to drive growth in South West Norfolk.”
Mid Norfolk MP George Freeman tweeted: “Great news - Chancellor shows he’s been listening to all of us campaigning for a fuel duty freeze.”
Tory MP Sarah Newton, who represents the rural Cornish constituency of Truro and Falmouth, told Mr Osborne: “If I weren’t on crutches I would be jumping for joy.”
Campaign group FairFuelUK, which lobbied against the increase, said it would have added £1,200 a year to the cost of running a lorry.
Jack Semple, director of policy at the Road Haulage Association, said: “The FairFuelUK campaign has driven a change in the way that fuel duty is perceived.
“Today’s announcement will prevent further pressure being applied to the profitability and cash flow of UK hauliers in particular.
“More widely, the Chancellor’s decision will be welcomed by businesses and consumers across the entire economy.”
But Sustrans, the green transport charity promoting travel on foot, bike or public transport, said it opposed the move.
Jason Torrance, Sustrans policy director, said: “There is clearly a problem when hard-working families are facing difficult decisions about whether they can even afford to get to work, or do the weekly shop.
“We need investment in a transport system that gives us all a choice in how we get around.
“While reducing fuel duty may seem popular in the short-term, it’ll do little to help us all get around for our everyday journeys.
“A quarter of British people already don’t have access to a car. Labour’s plan does nothing for them, instead forcing people into expensive car ownership.
“Wholesale fuel prices are only going to go up and up so we need a transport system that we can all use - the Government must make our buses and trains more affordable and reliable, improve rural public transport and make our towns and cities safe for walking and cycling.”
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12 comments
Sustrans -yet to see what it does that is anything other than finger wagging. A bike is just the job for a parent with three kids and the shopping to do, or an older person, or someone who has more than a few miles to go to work. And a public transport network, as good as it is, does not carry a boot load of luggage or fetch a dog kennel bought on ebay.And nor can anyone tell just by looking, whether Whipsnade's despised " chelsea tractors " are used to cart around a lot of people at a time or tow a box full of sheep and whether their use is worse than a Golf used by a fit 22 year old to drive two miles to work.
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Daisy Roots
Thursday, June 28, 2012
we don't need lectures from small minded bike users.Norfolk is a hard place to get around in.
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bookworm
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
just because some people are able to use a bike to get about on they fail to see the bigger picture.how utterly selfish of them.
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bookworm
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
a tank costs peanuts in USA and Arab states.we pay too much tax on petrol.
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bookworm
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Two Denmarks ....have Sweden instead where it is about the same . Petrol should be expensive , it is a diminishing resource. Get a smaller more fuel efficient car , judging by the number of Chelsea tractors round here it is not expensive enough. .
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LARSON.E. WHIPSNADE
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Didn't ask Labour for a comment, EDP? Simply Tories taking the credit for being forced to u-turn. Amusing. Dare I suggest this is more to do with Ed Balls' media work this morning calling for the £500m leftover from the Olympics to be spent on freezing the duty and having a vote tomorrow? A number of Tories were preparing to support Labour. Is it coincidence that the Treasury has u-turned on the same day?
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Jono
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
TORY MP says she's jumping for joy. pathetic .
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bookworm
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
and we are meant to be grateful?UK fuel is the most expensive in the world.We are totally ripped off by the Govt.
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bookworm
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
and we are meant to be grateful?UK fuel is the most expensive in the world.We are totally ripped off by the Govt.
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bookworm
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
and we are meant to be grateful?UK fuel is the most expensive in the world.We are totally ripped off by the Govt.
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bookworm
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Why,Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire ? Howabout the rest of the country
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billytheolympicbookie
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Why,Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire ? Howabout the rest of the country
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billytheolympicbookie
Tuesday, June 26, 2012