Posted on 2012-05-23 | 11:37

I am opposed to the increase Fuel Duty on petrol and diesel from the 1st August which will push up the price of petrol and diesel by approximately 16p a gallon.

I have signed the Amendment to the Finance Act which would stop this rise going ahead because I believe, particularly at this moment in time, the placing yet another burden on hard-pressed families and small businesses cannot be justified.

The Coalition Government is seeking to raise extra revenue to reduce the financial deficit and an increase in Fuel Duty is going to impact severely on many businesses and will lead to less economic activity while also taking more money out of the pockets of consumers. This will depress even more the desperate need for growth in the economy and will merely increase Government borrowing because there will be more people out of work and therefore less tax being paid while unemployment expenditure will increase.