Labor wants to raise fuel duty in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. Let that sink in.
At a time when families are already watching every pound, when small businesses are battling rising bills, and when commuters are struggling to get to work affordably, the government has decided the answer is to charge motorists more. It's the wrong choice at the worst possible moment. At November's Budget, Rachel Reeves announced plans to increase fuel duty by 5p a liter from September – the first rise in 15 years. It will come in stages. 1p in September, 2p in December, and another 2p next March.
To out of touch Labor ministers, those numbers may sound modest, but for the millions of people who rely on their cars every day – to get to work, take their kids to school, run their businesses or care for relatives – those pennies add up fast. Fill up week after week and it becomes another punishing hit to the family budget.
And this is happening while global tensions threaten to push oil prices even higher. If instability abroad drives fuel costs up further, Labour's tax rise will pour petrol on the fire.
The reality is simple. This policy will make life harder for ordinary people.
Under the Conservatives, we made a different choice. For every year we were in government, we froze fuel duty. In 2022 we even cut it by 5p to help households cope with the surge in energy prices following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
We understood something Labor seems to have forgotten – that for many people driving is not a luxury. It's a necessity.
You cannot take the train instead if there isn't one. You cannot work from home if your job requires you to travel. And you cannot run a delivery firm, a plumbing business or a small construction company without reliable transport.
Yet Labor appears willing to pile extra costs onto those very workers and businesses – while spending more and more on benefits.
The moment Labor came into office, they spent billions. On trade union handouts, and on benefit payments for those who can work but won't. And they've hiked taxes on motorists to pay for it.
That is why the Conservatives are demanding a vote in Parliament. If ministers truly believe this tax hike is justified, they should have the courage to defend it in the open.
Because this decision boils down to a simple question.
At a time when households are under pressure and fuel prices are uncertain, should the government really be making it more expensive just to get to work? To get your kids to school. To get to a hospital appointment.
We've forced them to U-turn before, on Winter Fuel Payments and the Family Farm Tax.
It's time for Labor to think again – and Ax the Fuel Tax before it hits Britain's drivers.