A cross-party group of MPs is set to deliver a petition of more than 152,000 signatures to Downing Street on Tuesday afternoon, calling on the Chancellor to cut or at minimum maintain the current freeze on Fuel Duty in next week’s Winter Budget. Led by Broxbourne MP Lewis Cocking, the delegation will present the FairFuelUK petition to both Number 10 and Number 11 at 2 pm on 25 November, pressing the government to avoid any increases to motoring taxes at a time of mounting pressure on households and businesses.
The campaign comes amid rising speculation in Whitehall that the Treasury is considering a 5p-per-litre rise in Fuel Duty—an increase that would reverse the temporary cut introduced by then-Chancellor Rishi Sunak in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Further rumours include the possibility of a 3p per-mile road-pricing levy for electric vehicles and even the return of the fuel price escalator.
FairFuelUK argues that the debate has become a budget-season ritual, as motoring organisations once again attempt to convince ministers of the economic and social case for maintaining current tax levels. Despite invitations being extended to all Labour MPs—each invited on average by around 30 constituents—only one Labour MP attended FairFuelUK’s pre-Budget reception and declined to state a position on whether Fuel Duty should rise, fall, or remain frozen.
FairFuelUK says this stance puts Labour at odds with its own voter base. According to the group’s 15th annual open poll, which has received over 60,000 responses to date, three-quarters of Labour voters support either a cut to Fuel Duty or a continuation of the current freeze. Notably, one in ten Labour voters surveyed said they want Fuel Duty scrapped entirely.
Campaigners argue that once in government, successive administrations develop what they describe as “collective fiscal amnesia” about the impact of Fuel Duty on economic performance and living standards. They point out that road transport taxes are widely regarded as regressive, with disproportionate effects on lower-income households, small businesses, rural communities and overall economic activity.
Howard Cox, Founder of FairFuelUK, said: “Keeping Fuel Duty frozen at the very least will be one of the best fiscal stimuli for this unpopular government’s chances of restoring faith in its leadership. In contrast, hiking it could be the final political blow in Labour’s succession of self-inflicted disasters.”
He added: “Fuel duty has remained frozen for the past 15 years, currently standing at 6p below its level when the Labour Party was last in power. This has been of immense benefit to Britain’s motorists and has significantly strengthened the Treasury’s finances by reducing inflationary pressure.”
The Chancellor’s second Budget, set for 26 November, is expected to confront competing political and economic demands as ministers weigh fiscal constraints against the country’s deepening cost-of-living pressures. Cox and fellow campaigners argue that any rise in Fuel Duty would risk undermining economic growth, escalating inflation and placing further strain on households already facing rising rents, mortgages and food prices.
FairFuelUK’s poll also offers broader insight into public sentiment on transport policy. Two-thirds of respondents want the government’s Net Zero targets scrapped, nearly 60 per cent support requiring cyclists to contribute financially to road upkeep, and more than half oppose the introduction of pay-per-mile taxation. Among commercial vehicle users, opposition to mileage taxation exceeds 70 per cent.
Rural areas are highlighted as especially vulnerable. Limited access to public transport means many communities rely heavily on private vehicles for employment, essential services and education. Campaigners argue that maintaining or cutting Fuel Duty would reduce financial strain on rural households and improve economic participation.
Business groups have also suggested that lower fuel costs could enhance the UK’s competitiveness in logistics, distribution, manufacturing and other fuel-intensive sectors. FairFuelUK cites research from the Centre for Economic and Business Research, which found that raising Fuel Duty would offer only minimal short-term benefit to the Exchequer. The analysis suggested that higher duty could result in a decline of more than 60 per cent in related tax revenues within five years.
Attention is also turning to PumpWatch, a price-monitoring scheme developed by FairFuelUK and previously backed by the Conservative government. The group says reinstating the scheme would help curb excessive retail fuel margins. According to the Competition and Markets Authority, supermarket fuel margins averaged around 9 per cent in the three months to June, up from 4 per cent in 2017, while non-supermarket forecourts increased margins from 6.4 per cent to nearly 11 per cent over the same period. FairFuelUK’s analysis claims that petrol and diesel prices are currently inflated by 5p and 9p per litre respectively.
Campaigners will use Tuesday’s petition delivery to urge the government to reintroduce PumpWatch with stronger enforcement powers, arguing that it would protect motorists and businesses from “unchecked rip-offs” in the fuel supply chain.
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