Ed Davey calls for emergency 10p fuel duty cut to keep Britain moving

EMBARGO: Immediate Release

Ed Davey is calling for an immediate 10p cut in fuel duty, as part of an emergency transport package “to keep Britain moving”.

At a press conference this morning, the Liberal Democrat Leader called on the Chancellor to bring forward an emergency package of support to help families, pensioners and businesses with the costs of President Trump’s war on Iran.

He set out details of a bold new Liberal Democrat transport plan to “keep Britain moving and tackle the cost-of-living crisis”:

• Cutting fuel duty by 10p, bringing down prices at the pump by 12p per litre.
• Slashing bus fares to £1, from the current £3 cap.
• Cutting rail fares by 10%.
• Making it cheaper to drive electric vehicles, by cutting VAT on public charging and reviewing the unfair network costs that push up charging prices.

This comes ahead of the busiest travel weekend of the year, with the RAC estimating that 21 million leisure journeys will take place over the Easter bank holiday weekend. Figures show that petrol and diesel costs soared by record levels in March.

The Liberal Democrats are pressing the Government to introduce this package for three months at first, but say it should be kept under review and could be extended if the crisis drags on for longer and fuel prices stay high.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

“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, including an immediate cut in fuel duty to bring down prices at the pump by 12p per litre. We also want to see bus and train fares slashed and electric vehicle charging costs cut, to help people no matter how they travel.

“We can’t afford for the Chancellor to stand back, watch people struggle and let Britain’s economy grind to a halt.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

Ed Davey’s remarks are below

**CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY**

Good morning everyone. Thank you for joining us for our very first press conference here from our new headquarters.

Now the eagle-eyed amongst you will have guessed what our party is calling for today.

But before I get into that and take your questions, let me set out why I think the Chancellor needs to act now – not wait until the summer. Not until the Autumn Budget.

Just look at what’s happening as a result of Donald Trump’s idiotic war with Iran. A war – let’s not forget – that both Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage supported enthusiastically, without a thought as to how it would affect the world economy and the livelihoods of every person here in the United Kingdom.

Mortgage rates have soared. Fixed energy deals have already gone up by over a hundred pounds – and experts are predicting the price cap will rise by hundreds of pounds this year.

But the biggest impact right now is what we’re seeing at the pump. A tank of petrol now costs £11 more than it did before Trump’s war. For a tank of diesel, it’s £23 more. Every time you fill up.

That is the Trump tax on driving. The Farage tax on driving. The Badenoch tax on driving.

And it’s hurting families and businesses across the country. People who were already struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. Already having to make difficult decisions just to make ends meet.

Now having to find even more money. Cut back even more. Worry even more about the cost of driving to the shops, or the daily commute, or the school run.

And all those self-employed and small business owners, who have to travel for work. Whose vans are their offices. They’ve already been hit by tax rises and red tape.

This extra Trump-Farage-Badenoch tax is the last thing they need.

Businesses, families, pensioners… People need help now.

And that’s what we’re calling for today. Action. Now. To tackle the costs of Trump’s war and keep Britain moving.

And that means cutting the cost of trains and buses too. So we’re calling for a 10% cut in rail fares, saving a typical commuter in Winchester more than £50 a month.

And we’re calling for the cap on bus fares to be cut too. It used to be £2, before Labour put it up to 3. Our plan would cut it not just back to £2 but down to £1. £1 a bus ticket, wherever you need to go.

And on electric vehicles, our plan would make them cheaper to run. Starting by cutting VAT on public charging, coupled with a review to bring down unfair network costs that drivers ultimately have to pay too.

And then there’s petrol and diesel.

Especially important today, as people set off to join family and friends for the Easter weekend. 21 million trips – the busiest weekend on British roads in years.

Many families are sitting in queues at petrol stations right now, waiting to get their holidays started.

Paying more than they should to fill up for the journey.

In recent days both the Conservatives and Reform have tried to backpedal, and pretend to care about rising prices at the pump. Rising prices that are a direct result of a war they championed.

But their proposed solution is nowhere near up to the task. They say cancel the 5p rise that won’t fully take effect til next March anyway.

The Farage-Badenoch plan would give drivers no help at all until September, and even then only 1p a litre.

We say the Chancellor needs to go much further to keep Britain moving.

Cut fuel duty now – not by 1p, not by 5p, but by 10p per litre.

Cutting the cost of filling up a 55-litre tank by £6.60.

Giving families the help they desperately need, today.

The people of Britain didn’t start this war. They didn’t cheer it on. But they are paying the price for it – every single day.

So Rachel Reeves has a choice. She can stand up for those people and act now. Or she can stand back and watch them struggle.

Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage made their choice when they cheered for Trump’s war. We’ve made ours. Now it's the Chancellor’s turn.

Thank you.