FairFuelUK and leading fuel card reseller The Knaresborough-based, Fuelcard Company, will launch the first ever National FairFuel day by presenting a copy of a revolutionary report to the door of Number 10 Downing Street at 11.00am on Wednesday 7th March. The report sets out that the Government could cut fuel duty on petrol & diesel without losing any taxation revenue. At 1pm in the afternoon, he will lead a mass lobby of MPs on the issue.
The report was undertaken by the respected Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR). It concludes that even a modest cut in fuel duty of 2.5 pence per litre would create a staggering 180,000 new jobs and would on its own boost GDP by 0.33 percent
Quentin Willson, national spokesperson for FairFuelUK, said:
We have shared the findings of this report with MPs and Ministers. However, with only weeks to go to the Budget, we are concerned that the Government is not listening and not taking on board the significance of these findings. For months, the Government has been wheeling out the same old argument that it ‘can’t afford to cut duty’. Here is concrete evidence that it can make such a cut!
Families and businesses are being crushed by these cruel levels of tax – 82p on every litre we buy. It’s damaging the economy and holding back growth. Our politicians seem to have spent a great deal of energy discussing the merits or otherwise of a whole range of possible tax ‘give aways’ from fiddling with VAT, raising personal thresholds and even dropping the 50p rate. The people are clammering for them to look at fuel duty.
This research shows that a cut in fuel duty won’t cost the Treasury a penny. It can cut duty AND do any of the other options if it so wishes. So it is wrong of the Government to say it’s a choice between a fuel duty cut and other measures. It can, and should cut fuel duty now.
Jakes de Kock, Marketing Director at The Fuelcard Company said:
The CEBR report indisputably proves how financially limiting the current level of tax is on us as a country, and with such restrictions we simply cannot be competitive or stimulate the economy. Government must commit to a long-term strategy to benefit both us in the transport sector as well as the general public – it must not renege on its promises again and must implement a fair fuel policy as a matter of urgency.
Fuel price increases have hit small and medium sized businesses particularly hard with many forced out of business, the transport industry simply can’t sustain this level of taxation. If the Government does not take rapid action it will not just be the transport industry that suffers, but every single household in the UK which will see the price of everyday goods rocket and fresh food become scarce.
Geoff Dunning, Chief Executive RHA added:
The findings of this report prove, without shadow of a doubt, that there is an achievable solution to regaining at least some stability as regards fuel prices.
Last year, UK road users contributed over £48 billion to Treasury coffers; over half of that, £26 billion, came from fuel duty alone. We must see this issue tackled as a matter of extreme urgency. We know the money is there; we have concrete proof that there is a solution, let’s see a return on our investment sooner rather than later.
Theo de Pencier, FTA Chief Executive, said:
National Fairfuel day allows us to focus all of our arguments for a reduction in fuel duty on Parliament and our representatives there, the Members. We have good research as well as common sense to back up our arguments that if the Government is serious about kick-starting the economy then putting money back in people’s pockets direct from the pump is the best way to immediately increase spending and investment, to the benefit of us all.
David Bizley, RAC Technical Director said:
These are dark days at Britain’s forecourts, with a record fuel price seemingly a daily event. The spectre of a further fuel duty increase in August is unthinkable for the millions of motorists that are having to make daily choices on what trips they take and how to afford to take them. That’s why RAC is here today giving those people a voice and supporting the FairFuelUK campaign. This is a critical Budget for drivers, the Chancellor can either do the right thing and act on the CEBR report, or he consign motorists to a cruel summer at the pumps.
The FairFuelUk campaign is backed by the RAC, the road haulage trade associations (the RHA and FTA which between them represent over 20,000 UK road freight companies) and the Fuelcard Company. It has the support of 215,000 members of the public and of over 150 Parliamentarians. It is widely credited with persuading the Government to abandon 9p of planned duty rises last year.
For more details on how to take part on Wednesday, please visit www.fairfueluk.com/instructions_for_march_7th.html
