Our emergency plan to keep Britain moving

Donald Trump’s idiotic war with Iran – cheered on by Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage – is making it far more expensive for people to get around. Families are paying more at the pump because of a war they didn’t start and don’t support.

Liberal Democrats are calling for an emergency transport package to keep Britain moving, cutting the cost of travel for people – whether by car, train or bus.

Our plan would help people across the United Kingdom who are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. It would cut petrol and diesel costs for the parent in rural Devon who has no choice but to drive, the home carer getting from patient to patient, and the small business owner whose van is their office.

But it would also make it easier for more people to take public transport or switch to electric vehicles, by dramatically cutting the prices of bus and train tickets and the cost of charging electric vehicles. This would help to bring down demand for fuel during this crisis, while encouraging people to switch to public transport and EVs for the long-term too.

Our emergency transport package would:

• Cut fuel duty by 10p, bringing down prices at the pump by 12p per litre.
   
• Slash bus fares to £1, from the current £3 cap.
   
• Cut rail fares by 10%.
   
• Cut VAT on public electric vehicle charging, and review the unfair network costs that push up charging prices.

We’re pressing the government to implement our plan for three months at first. The £2 billion cost would be covered by the unexpected extra tax revenues the Treasury is raking in due to higher fuel prices. If the crisis drags on for longer and fuel prices stay high, our package could be extended until they come down.