I took the FairFuelUK challenge directly to a Government Minister at this week's Conservative Conference. I stated that a cut in fuel duty is the most obvious, direct and effective means of boosting the economy and creating jobs whilst not threatening the Government's necessary deficit reduction plan. The exchange took place at a fringe meeting between me and Theresa Villiers, Minister for Transport at the Conservative Party Conference.
I put this plain and simple message to the Minister – cut fuel duty and you will recover any lost revenue from the resultant economic growth. So many politicians still look at this situation as a choice between cutting fuel duty to get growth and cutting fuel duty being a risk to paying off the deficit. That is not the choice. Cutting fuel duty is the way to get growth AND pay off the deficit. Surely growth and paying off the deficit are one and the same thing'.
Also on the panel was David Scott, Policy Director of the Morrisons Supermarket Group, who are ‘in support of any initiative that reduces fuel costs for UK consumers'. This week, the supermarket is reducing its price of unleaded to 129.9 pence per litre to help its customers, a market leading initiative.
Fellow panel member, leading economics commentator Phil Thornton of Clarity Economics said, ‘I am aware that the Governments priority is to reduce the deficit. However, given the current dire state of the economy growth needs to move up the priority list. Cutting fuel duty offers an easy to implement and fast acting way of providing that boost to growth'.
The event took place against the background of the FairFuelUK ePetition passing the 100,000 signature count on the Governments ePetition site. This will almost certainly trigger a full Commons debate on this issue.
twitter
facebook
linkedin
ADD YOUR OWN COMMENTS BELOW THIS POST. THEY ARE VERY WELCOME
[ posted by David Banes, October 03, 2011 16:44 ]
Well done Quentin and team, excellent result getting 100k sigs AND getting Morrisons on board.
[ posted by mick murphy, October 03, 2011 17:37 ]
£1.29 per litre is still too much,needs to be a lot lower
[ posted by David Britten, October 03, 2011 19:07 ]
I knew for sure on the very day that petrol was sold by the litre instead of the gallon, that this essential liquid would become the primary milch cow for government greedy for revenue. The penny per gallon increases we were used to were applied to litres and the revenue was instantly multiplied by 4.5, and politicians thought/hoped we wouldn't notice.
Well we did and still do, and they need to be made to know that we do and to understand with no room for uncertainty what their continued refusal to acknowledge this will mean to their political futures.
[ posted by Adie Gibbs, October 03, 2011 20:05 ]
The supermarkets only do it on offer in store. i.e spent £50, get 6p off a litre of fuel. What if you dont use that supermarket, then u have to pay more....... wrong,wrong,wrong.......
[ posted by stewart lunn, October 03, 2011 21:22 ]
We do a lot of talking but no action, if anybody wants to get this fuel down is so simple, do not buy from Shell,Esso, Total or BP buy at the Supermarkets just watch the price come down then.
Us English are creatures of habit, we will never change me included, they will just keep taking more and more tax till we are all paupers.
[ posted by alanwray, October 03, 2011 22:45 ]
Morison's nelson today £1.29p a litre you should see the Que god knows what would happen if it came down 10p a litre
[ posted by Lescombes, October 04, 2011 8:08 ]
Brent is trading at $99.3 as I write this, down $15 a barrel in 14 days......so where is my 10p litre drop at the pumps.....thank goodness for Veg oil at £1 litre
[ posted by Steve Gardner, October 05, 2011 8:50 ]
Perhaps the oil speculators should be seriously investigated, as they appear to be deliberately sabotaging the economy for their own profits. Banking Crisis 2 maybe?
[ posted by stuart ryan, October 18, 2011 14:53 ]
i recently emailed the government about this very issue regarding commercial vehicles and retaqining job through cutting fuel prices - i got the standard reply and nothing more.
[ posted by Malcolm, October 18, 2011 22:54 ]
It's not the oil companies that are ripping us off, it's the government. If it wasn't for the fuel duty and vat on top of that, the price at the pump would be under 50p per litre!