FTA urges next government to slash fuel duty as it lays out its election manifesto

Protecting the seamless movement of goods after Brexit, boosting driver facilities, expanding Heathrow and helping hauliers decarbonise; the FTA has handed its own election manifesto to the main political parties.

The trade association said the industry was determined to meet the government’s target of becoming zero-emission but it would not be achieved without the right support.

It has called for the next government to actively support and develop the alternatively-fuelled vehicle market so that businesses of all sizes can transition away from their reliance on diesel vehicles.

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Heidi Skinner, FTA manager of policy and public affairs, added: “And until these alternatives are available – for example, electric lorries – maintaining the UK’s current levels of fuel duty, which are the highest in Europe, serves no environmental purpose.

“As such, [the] future government should take the opportunity to kick-start the UK economy after a period of slow growth by introducing a reduction in fuel duty by three pence per litre.”

The FTA’s policy demands also include investing in road and rail infrastructure, changing the apprenticeship levy to a skills levy, making longer semi-trailers a permanent fixture and granting continued access to European workers post-Brexit.