Chancellor Rachel Reeves has hit back at a heckler who interrupted her during a broadcast interview at a petrol station in Leeds, telling him his behaviour was 'not very British'. The incident occurred on Wednesday after Ms Reeves announced that a planned increase in fuel duty would be scrapped to help consumers.
The heckler, driving a truck adorned with two St George's flags, repeatedly shouted at Ms Reeves while she was answering questions from the media. He appeared to be a Reform UK supporter, shouting 'Nigel Farage, go on Nigel' before telling her: 'You're ruining the country. Get Keir Starmer out.'
As he left the station, he called out: 'I've got British flags on. Am I going to get arrested? We've got English flags on here, Rachel, am I going to get arrested? Look at Rachel Reeves there, with a smile on her face.'
Ms Reeves responded: 'I love our country. I love our country, and one of the things about our country is good manners. Not very British.'
The confrontation comes amid ongoing uncertainty over the future of Sir Keir Starmer's premiership and unrest within the Labour Party following heavy losses at the local and devolved elections earlier this month. The Prime Minister has sought to maintain business as usual, announcing on Wednesday that the 5p per litre fuel duty cut introduced by the Conservative government in March 2022 would be extended for the rest of the year. This means the rate will remain nearly 53p per litre.
Rates had previously been scheduled to increase by 1p per litre on September 1, with further rises of 2p per litre on December 1 this year and March 1 next year. However, the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, particularly Iran's restrictions on tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz, has pushed up fuel prices. The average price of a litre of petrol and diesel at UK forecourts is now 26p and 44p respectively more expensive than before the conflict began on February 28.
Ms Reeves said: 'Given what's happening in the Middle East, it is important that we now provide certainty. This war is not a war that we started, it's not a war that we joined, but it is having an impact on people here in the UK, and despite the decline in inflation that we've seen in the numbers that have just come out, I obviously recognise the challenges that families and businesses are facing, and so we're keeping that freeze in place until the end of this year.'
