Motorists convinced Labour will hike fuel duty as Keir Starmer could ‘make drivers pay’
EXCLUSIVE: Fuel duty fees have been consistently frozen for 13 years but campaigners and motorists warn rises may not be too far off.
Almost two-thirds of British drivers feel Keir Starmer and the Labour Party will raise fuel duty if they win this summer’s General Election.
A new poll from FairFuelUK, seen exclusively by Express.co.uk, revealed 63.70 percent of over 38,000 respondents said they expect rates to increase
Any rise would have a major impact on how much petrol and diesel owners pay at the pumps with more added onto weekly fuel bills.
Just under one-fifth (19.70 percent) said they believe Labour will continue to keep prices frozen if they are handed the keys to Downing Street.
A further 15.80 percent said they were not sure either way with just 0.80 percent feeling the patty could surprise motorists with a further reduction.
The Conservative Party has kept fuel duty rates frozen since 2011 and introduced a further cut in 2022.
FairFuelUK founder and Reform UK candidate Howard Cox stressed Labour will likely hit drivers with higher fees.
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, Howard said: “Although the last 14 years of Tory governance have been less than successful across several political issues, at least in that time, I convinced them to keep fuel duty frozen.
“So, if you drive a petrol, specifically a diesel vehicle, Labour will make you pay—and pay big time.
“Their blinkered vision of what constitutes saving the planet through prejudiced strategies of more road restrictions, needless emissions control, increased running costs, and higher taxation will become firmly entrenched.
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“Drivers and businesses must unite through media support to stop the new Government’s foreboding insanity. And only Reform UK truly supports the motorist.”
Earlier this year, The Treasury claimed retaining the 5p fuel duty cut would save drivers around £50 per year.
In total drivers have supposedly saved £250 since the 5p cut was introduced in a £13billion tax cut for motorists.
The freeze since 2011 means the Treasury has potentially passed up around £100billion in extra tax revenues.
Earlier this week, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer failed to definitively rule out future fuel duty rises.
However, he defended his recent record on petrol and diesel costs pointing out that he had always backed the Conservative Government’s freeze. Unfreezing the charge could generate an extra £5.5billion boost to the Treasury’s coffers.
He told Sky News: “Every single budget we have supported the freezer on fuel duty. We have to concentrate on growing the economy,
“On fuel duty that will have to be decided budget by budget but my track record is we have supported the cap on fuel duty every single time it’s come up.”
When asked which political party best supports motorists, the FairFuel poll found Labour was backed by 9.3 percent of respondents. The Conservatives were supported by 8.23 percent with Reform UK standing at 14.8 percent.
A staggering 61.4 percent of those polled selected that ‘none' of the parties standing at the General Election best stood up for motorists' concerns.
Howard added: Worse still, the National Labour Administration will use London’s mayoral result as authorisation to inflict more needless pain on the UK’s drivers.
“The main reason is that many cities are either bankrupt or starved of funds. Motorists remain the first budgetary stop as the easiest of income generators to bail councils out of their fiscal ineptitude.”
Express.co.uk have contacted Labour for further comment.
