Dr Luke Evans, Member of Parliament for Hinckley and Bosworth, has called on the new Labour Government to freeze fuel duty ahead of the Autum Budget announcement on October 30th.
The new Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has warned of tax rises in the Budget and admitted it will be “painful” for people and families across the United Kingdom.
Industry experts have warned Reeves that a tax hike on every litre of fuel could “backfire” as oil prices have started to rise on the back of conflict in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
In a question to the Energy Security Secretary, Ed Miliband, Dr Evans said that fuel duty under the Conservative Government had been frozen “for the past 11 years, cut in 2022 and then froze again”.
As the local MP implored the Energy Secretary to “ensure prices are kept low at the pump,” he asked whether the Government plans to freeze fuel duty.
The local MP went on to cite a review into fuel prices by the Competition and Markets Authority in 2023 and various policies by the previous Government to address price discrepancies, such as the PumpWatch scheme.
PumpWatch would allow the UK’s 41.2 million motorists to find the cheapest fuel prices near them via mobile apps, in-car devices and comparison websites.
Dr Evans referenced the public consultation on PumpWatch, which started in January 2024, and asked Mr Miliband “when I wrote to the Government in September to ask about its results, they said they were looking at it and would consider it in due course. Is the scheme a priority for the Government?”
Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, responded “I will not comment on the Budget, obviously. We are very sympathetic to PumpWatch – it is important that there is a fair deal for consumers at the pump.”
Speaking afterwards, Dr Luke Evans, Member of Parliament for Hinckley and Bosworth, said “People across Hinckley and Bosworth and, indeed, the country, are still facing cost of living pressures. Any increase to fuel duty will impact motorists at a time when they can ill afford the extra costs.
“I will continue to call on the Government to keep fuel duty low and hope they implement the PumpWatch scheme, which will make it easier to find fuel at the most competitive prices, soon.”
