FairFuelUK campaign ramps up MP lobbying...
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FAIRFUELUK IS ramping up its lobbying of MPs and planning even bolder publicity measures over the next 13 days, in order to ensure the Chancellor is in no doubt that he must abandon the planned 1 April fuel duty rise when he announces the Budget on 23 March.
On Tuesday 15 March the Freight Transport Association (FTA) and the Road Haulage Association (RHA) – oficial backers of the campaign – are delivering a giant cheque valued at £26.2bn to the Treasury. The cheque depicts the total fuel duty contribution made to Treasury coffers by motorists, hauliers and all road users in 2010.
Meanwhile, two smaller-sized cheques have been sent to individual MPs: one highlighting the amount of duty paid by a typical haulier in a year, the other the amount of fuel tax paid on behalf of a typical motorist.
FairFuelUK campaign leader Peter Carroll says: “With Budget day looming, we need to keep this issue in the spotlight. It is essential that we gain as much support for the campaign as is humanly possible in the time available.
“We now have cross-party support from over 100 MPs. We are very gratiied by this and thank them most sincerely for their support, but to make a difference, we need more.” Commenting on the demise of Joseph Rice & Sons due to the high cost of fuel (see below), Carroll says: “This is why we have to win this campaign. It is the shape of things to come if we don’t get a fair deal on fuel. More hauliers will go out of business.”
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