Chancellor George Osborne has cancelled the planned fuel duty rise in September 2014, confirming a commitment to a duty freeze he made at the Conservative Party Conference in September.
The rise was expected to be 1.61ppl, and in freezing this rise the chancellor will have frozen duty for the duration of the parliament, making just one cut of 1ppl.
He told the House of Commons today: “We inherited the hated fuel duty escalator and we abolished it; cut and frozen fuel duty.
“We heard from representatives, including the honourable member for Harlow [Robert Halfon]… and because we have taken difficult decisions I can deliver on that promise: next year’s fuel duty rise will be cancelled, and duty will stay frozen.”
In September Osborne had said that “provided we can find the savings to pay for it” he would freeze fuel duty for the rest of the current parliament.
Campaign group FairFuelUK tweeted in response to the announcement: “Massively disappointed with no cut in fuelduty. @hmtreasury just don't get it. We'll continue to fight for fair pump prices.”
The FTA tweeted: “#Fuel Duty frozen – Good but not good enough!” while the RHA tweeted: "Of course we welcome the fuel duty freeze - even more welcoming would have been a duty cut. UK hauliers are desperate for a financial boost."
