Prime Minister David Cameron has been given the clearest message yet that soaring petrol and diesel costs are taking their toll on people in Courier country.
Rising fuel bills are costing drivers around £500 more a year, forcing consumers to cut back not only on luxuries but also necessities such as food.
Blame for the price hikes has been laid firmly at the door of the Westminster coalition government, further increasing the pressure on Chancellor George Osborne to take action in the forthcoming Budget.
This could mean scrapping the planned 1p rise in fuel duty or even living up to the Conservatives’ pre-election pledge of creating a fuel duty regulator that would adjust duty when oil prices rise or fall.
The Courier campaign has won praise from across the political spectrum.
First Minister Alex Salmond led the tributes by saying it had been “hugely successful in galvanising public opinion.”
“It played a key role in ensuring the Scottish Parliament passed a motion calling on Westminster to cancel the April duty rise and establish a fuel duty regulator. Every member of the Scottish Government cabinet has signed the petition. I hope the UK Government will pay attention to it and act on the wishes of thousands of Courier readers, who speak for their communities and Scotland.”
Scottish Conservative leader Annabel Goldie also called for action on fuel prices.
“In January, I raised with the Prime Minister the very challenging impact of high fuel prices in Scotland,” she said. “Our geography and our remoter communities mean that for many people the car is not optional, it is a necessity.
“I urged that serious attention should be given, if public finances permitted, to cancelling the fuel duty increase the last Labour government planned for April and that we should urgently investigate the viability of a fair fuel stabiliser to try and even out the combined fuel and tax components of the price at the pump, so drivers are not subjected to unpredictable hikes.”
She added that Messrs Cameron and Osborne were doing “everything they can” to help motorists.
Scottish Lib Dem leader Tavish Scott also welcomed the campaign.
“The Courier is right to lead a campaign to tackle the high price of fuel,” he said. “I want the UK Government to reverse Labour’s fuel duty increase. That goes hand-in-hand with support for the Courier’s fuel duty regulator to help bring the horrendous increases we’re all facing, under control.
“So Liberal Democrats in the UK Government are taking action on rural fuel and, we all hope, will take action in the forthcoming Budget.”
Dundee West MSP Joe FitzPatrick, who previously raised the campaign at Holyrood, praised The Courier for taking the fuel issue “above and beyond” party politics.
“It cannot be right that in energy-rich, oil-producing Scotland, motorists, businesses and the public are paying the highest petrol pump prices in Europe,” he said.
The Labour Party have also called for action on rocketing fuel prices, but are opposed to the introduction of a fuel duty regulator.
However, Glenrothes Labour MP Lindsay Roy has broken ranks with his party to support our campaign and call for a regulator.
Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray said, “I want to see a fairer deal for motorists.”
He added that the high price of petrol at the pumps has put pressure on ordinary people, and for many families these increases will mean “real hardship”.
“The facts are the Tories have actually made the situation worse by increasing VAT to 20%, adding nearly 3p to the price of a litre,” he added. “Chancellor George Osborne should reverse this tax rise and rule out any further increase in fuel duty.”
The Courier’s vociferous fight for a fairer deal on fuel calling on the Conservative-led coalition government to fulfil its pre-election pledge to establish a fuel duty regulator marched on Downing Street on Wednesday.
Our news editor Michael Alexander and political reporter David Clegg handed over boxes of petition coupons signed by more than 10,000 of our loyal readers.
In an indication of the widespread support for the campaign, our team took with them the endorsement of cross-party politicians, and fulfilled a promise made to thousands of Courier readers, from all walks of life, that we would present the petition to the UK Government ahead of the Budget on March 23.
Courier editor Bill Hutcheon praised readers for supporting the campaign.
“We asked our readers to add their voice to the fight for a fairer deal on fuel and they did so in their thousands. Seldom has any issue that The Courier has turned its attention to provoked such a reaction, with people from all walks of life contacting us with their views and, of course, signing the petition.
“Two years ago a litre of fuel was selling for 90p. Today, you’d be lucky to get that same litre for £1.30. Without some sort of action, who knows what the cost will be in another couple of years.
“That’s why we’ve been campaigning for the Conservative-led coalition government to establish a fuel duty regulator.
“Chancellor George Osborne has the chance to fulfil a pre-election pledge by doing just that when he presents his Budget on March 23. We urge him to take heed of our petition and do the right thing.”
Public reaction to The Courier’s Fight for Fairer Fuel campaign has been unprecedented since we launched it in January, and during that period fuel prices have continued to rise with the recent spike in oil prices linked to the Libyan crisis.
Motorists have been clobbered by a combination of rising oil prices, increases in fuel duty and VAT going up to 20% in recent months and a litre of petrol now costs more than £1.30 at the pumps.
In some rural parts of Scotland, petrol costs more than £1.50 a litre and even the Scottish Government has demanded action is taken to curb the escalating prices of fuel.
Earlier this week, we published a unique survey of hundreds of Courier readers which revealed a stark picture of exactly how much rising fuel prices are costing motoristsand what sacrifices they are being forced to make as a result.
Continued…
The Courier’s vociferous fight for a fairer deal on fuel calling on the Conservative-led coalition government to fulfil its pre-election pledge to establish a fuel duty regulator marched on Downing Street on Wednesday.
Our news editor Michael Alexander and political reporter David Clegg handed over boxes of petition coupons signed by more than 10,000 of our loyal readers.
In an indication of the widespread support for the campaign, our team took with them the endorsement of cross-party politicians, and fulfilled a promise made to thousands of Courier readers, from all walks of life, that we would present the petition to the UK Government ahead of the Budget on March 23.
Courier editor Bill Hutcheon praised readers for supporting the campaign.
“We asked our readers to add their voice to the fight for a fairer deal on fuel and they did so in their thousands. Seldom has any issue that The Courier has turned its attention to provoked such a reaction, with people from all walks of life contacting us with their views and, of course, signing the petition.
“Two years ago a litre of fuel was selling for 90p. Today, you’d be lucky to get that same litre for £1.30. Without some sort of action, who knows what the cost will be in another couple of years.
“That’s why we’ve been campaigning for the Conservative-led coalition government to establish a fuel duty regulator.
“Chancellor George Osborne has the chance to fulfil a pre-election pledge by doing just that when he presents his Budget on March 23. We urge him to take heed of our petition and do the right thing.”
Public reaction to The Courier’s Fight for Fairer Fuel campaign has been unprecedented since we launched it in January, and during that period fuel prices have continued to rise with the recent spike in oil prices linked to the Libyan crisis.
Motorists have been clobbered by a combination of rising oil prices, increases in fuel duty and VAT going up to 20% in recent months and a litre of petrol now costs more than £1.30 at the pumps.
In some rural parts of Scotland, petrol costs more than £1.50 a litre and even the Scottish Government has demanded action is taken to curb the escalating prices of fuel.
Earlier this week, we published a unique survey of hundreds of Courier readers which revealed a stark picture of exactly how much rising fuel prices are costing motoristsand what sacrifices they are being forced to make as a result.
Continued…