Osborne: keep fuel duty frozen
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PRESSURE IS building on chancellor George
Osborne to confirm his commitment to keep fuel duty frozen for the duration of the current parliament in his Autumn Statement (5 December). The Freight Transport Association (FTA) wrote to Osborne last week asking him to confirm the promise he made at the Conservative Party conference in September.
FTA chief executive Theo de Pencier said cutting duty would provide "the stability needed to give businesses the confidence to invest". The FTA is a major backer of the FairFuelUK (FFUK) campaign, alongside the Road Haulage Association (RHA) and the Association of Pallet Networks.
The Autumn Statement is the first major milestone for FFUK after Peter Carroll's departure —the co-founder who left for an advisory position in the Treasury earlier this month. FFUK is now headed by fellow founder Howard Cox, who told CM last week that it was now focusing on fair taxation for the road user.
He added that there would be a change in the direction of the campaign, with a focus on the debate in Westminster regarding inflation and the cost of living. The goal now will be to convince the government of the pain businesses and individuals feel as a result of the high cost of fuel.
• Coverage of the Autumn Statement will be available on commercialmotor.com on 5 December.