Motorists are being ripped off at the fuel pump while Prime Minister Andy Burnham has been away in New York, according to an opinion piece in the Daily Express. Petrol and diesel costs have soared in the past week as disruption in the Middle East continues to wreak havoc on UK pump prices. Diesel is now creeping up to an all-time high, with fears costs could soon hit £2 per litre. Experts have even suggested that a potential US diesel export ban could see prices rise to £3 per litre.
Fuel costs soar since summer
When Mr Burnham took office in July, he promised to battle the cost of living and give British people some "breathing space". He also declared that life's essentials would be more affordable. Yet diesel prices have shot up by over 20p per litre since the summer.
Any one of his political rivals can announce a fuel duty freeze, or even a cut, in their manifesto and see support soar. As things stand, fuel duty rates will rise by 3p in January as part of a staggered reversal of the 5p cut.
Pressure mounts on fuel duty
The AA has claimed that politicians "may now be thinking twice" about planned rises. Meanwhile, the RAC has suggested that abandoning plans to raise fuel duty should not be off the table.
The AA has previously suggested retailers are profiteering, with motorists in Northern Ireland enjoying a 6p per litre advantage over the cheapest area in England, Wales and Scotland earlier this month. The Competition and Market Authority (CMA) has heavily criticised the fuel trade for elevated margins and for not passing possible savings onto customers.
Action needed
The Prime Minister can get on top of the issue by getting retailers into a room and threatening to limit their power with direct price controls. The threat alone should be enough to bring down pump prices overnight. Next, he needs to scrap the fuel duty hike before it inflicts even more pain on motorists' wallets.
