Lib Dem ex-leader Tim Farron raises Somerset petrol prices in Parliament

EMBARGO: Immediate Release

Liberal Democrat former leader Tim Farron today raised the issue of higher petrol prices in rural areas like Somerset, calling for more support for local families facing sky-high prices at the pump.

The Liberal Democrat MP secured an urgent debate in Parliament on the issue of fuel prices, after a report by the Competition and Markets Authority found customers have paid £900m in extra costs at the pump due to inadequate competition.

The report also found rural areas like Somerset pay on average 1.2p a litre more on petrol than urban areas.

The Liberal Democrats are putting pressure on the government to do more to tackle petrol profiteering, including hauling the bosses of firms who have failed to cut prices into Downing Street to hold them to account. 

The party is also calling for an expansion of the Rural Fuel Duty Relief scheme to more rural areas like Somerset, which would mean cutting fuel duty by 10p a litre, easing pressure on families in rural communities facing sky-high prices.

Speaking in Parliament earlier today, Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesperson Tim Farron MP said:

“Rural places such as Somerset are seeing fuel prices on average 1.2 pence per litre higher than urban areas.

“Will the Prime Minister summon these companies’ bosses to Downing Street and press them to return these extra profits by lowering their prices accordingly in the coming months?

“And will he finally expand the Rural Fuel Duty Relief scheme to more areas as the Liberal Democrats called for last year, to support rural communities struggling with some of the highest petrol prices?”

ENDS

Notes to Editor

The full clip of Tim Farron’s intervention in Parliament in today’s debate can be found here.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for rural fuel duty relief to be doubled to 10p a litre, and for it to be significantly expanded to cover other rural areas where drivers are being disproportionately hit by rising fuel prices. This would include areas such as Devon, Cornwall and Somerset.