A Conservative attempt to block a planned increase in fuel duty, citing soaring oil prices after US-Israel strikes on Iran, was defeated in the House of Commons. The motion, brought by shadow transport secretary Richard Holden, was rejected by 259 votes to 103, a majority of 156.
Holden described the proposed September rise as “another egregious tax” and accused the Government of “choosing to balance the books on the back of working Britain”. He noted that fuel duty had been frozen since 2011, with a temporary 5p cut introduced in 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in her autumn Budget that the 5p cut would be gradually unwound from September, with fuel duty rising by 1p per litre. Holden argued this was a “sneaky and stealthy” tax rise, adding: “The British people deserve better than underhand taxes swindling them out of the pounds in their pockets.”
Treasury minister Torsten Bell defended the Government's position, stating that fuel costs “matter enormously” and that the Budget extended the 5p cut for five months and cancelled the inflation-linked rise for 2026-27. He claimed the changes would save the average motorist over £90, and noted that fuel duty was lower now than for 80% of the previous Conservative government's tenure.
Liberal Democrat rural spokesman Tim Farron blamed the United States for the crisis, saying: “The Government's fuel duty rise exacerbates a problem which is created in the White House. The United States needs to fix the problem that it created.”
