CRANBROOK, UK / AGILITYPR.NEWS / November 16, 2022 / A 11th hour petition from 2 dozen Tory MPs, led by Jonathan Gullis, has been sent to the Chancellor asking him not to hike fuel duty in the Autumn Statement.

With inflation climbing to a crippling 11.1% and petrol and diesel prices being a major contributor to the rise in the cost of living, MPs are supporting FairFuelUK’s demand that Fuel Duty must be cut to stimulate growth, but at the very worse this regressive tax must stay frozen at the current level for the lifetime of this Parliament.

The letter can be downloaded at https://fairfueluk.com/FairFuelUK-MPs-Letter-to-JHunt.pdf

MPs who signed the letter include:

• Jonathan Gullis MP

• The Rt Hon Priti Patel MP

• The Rt Hon Sir John Redwood MP

• Sir William Cash MP

• Pauline Latham MP

• Craig Mackinlay MP

• Phillip Davies MP

• Jack Lopresti MP

• Henry Smith MP

• Virginia Crosbie MP

• Andrea Jenkyns MP

• Stephen Mcpartland MP

• The Rt Hon Brandon Lewis MP

• Sir Graham Brady MP

• Greg Smith MP

• Jack Brereton MP

• Kelly Tolhurst MP

• Scott Benton MP

• Jill Mortimer MP

• Mark Jenkinson MP

• Holly Mumby-Croft MP

• Nick Fletcher MP

• Jill Mortimer MP

Jonathan Gullis MP said: "My constituents in Stoke-on-Trent, along with those in the rest of the UK, simply have no choice but to use their diesel and petrol vehicles on a regular basis. "The current eye-watering pump prices continue to hurt small businesses and hardworking tax payers. With this year’s VAT bonanza to the Treasury from the costs of filling up, a significant cut in Fuel Duty would be appropriate right now so people can keep more of their hard earned money."

Craig Mackinlay MP Chair of the Net Zero Scrutiny Group said: “We are in real danger of sleepwalking into an unnecessary and lengthy recession. The mere whiff of one can become self-fulfilling as consumers stop spending. I’d agree that inflation is the big fear at present; all may have differing views as to the root cause, but some international reasons are agreed - energy costs with huge reliance on expensive imported energy feeding into supply chains and costs being felt by all households. The government has recognised this with the winter energy price guarantee likely to shave 5% off of headline inflation. It now stands to reason that tax inflated road fuel prices similarly are feeding inflation. I welcome the fact that EVs may now face a new road tax to properly reflect their share of road use and damage but now must be the time for a bold move on petrol and diesel fuel taxation to further reduce inflation, lowering government and householders future interest costs and providing a growth stimulus to the whole economy. The majority of road users relying on petrol and diesel vehicles for day to day life need a significant fuel tax cut in Thursday’s Autumn Statement. Be bold Chancellor!”

Howard Cox, Founder of FairFuelUK and Secretary to the APPG for Fair Fuel for Motorists and Hauliers said: “Jeremy Hunt must wake up to the reality, be a real Tory, that consumer tax incentives, not punitive tax hikes, are the only way forward to boosting the economy. It does not take a genius to recognise that more money in all our pockets is the route forward out of this needless recession and to pay down the nation’s debt. The deluded and arrogant belief that spending trillions will halt climate change should be dumped for a sound sensible fiscal stimulus to consumer spending. Cut Fuel Duty Big!”

Background: Since 2011 the APPG for Fair Fuel for UK Motorists and UK Hauliers has examined major issues that impact on UK drivers. Along with FairFuelUK, it has been a major influencer on keeping Fuel Duty frozen since 2011. As well as fuel taxation, other issues addressed by the APPG that impact on drivers, have included congestion charges, ULEZ/CAZs, parking costs, roads investment, unfair treatment for fossil fuelled vehicle owners, solutions to lower emissions, cleaner fuel incentives, alternative technology options and transparent pricing at the fuel pumps with a continual call for PumpWatch. With the expected decline in Fuel Duty revenue, the APPG will also formulate a long-term approach to the future of road taxation and a positive transport strategy for all road users. https://fairfueluk.com

Since 2010 FairFuelUK has saved drivers over £160bn in planned tax hikes in duty and VAT through constructive and objective campaigning. Had FairFuelUK not campaigned to scrap the fuel duty escalator, fuel tax today would be 90p/lt rather than 57.95p/lt. Today we would be paying £2.40+ per litre at the pumps had FairFuelUK not fought for the World's highest taxed drivers. Because of the Campaign, inflation is down 6.7% and £24bn has been put back into consumer spending each and every year since 2011.