MP says fuel duty hike axe is a 'victory for drivers'

South Shropshire MP Stuart Anderson welcomed the decision after months of campaigning against a planned rise set out in the 2025 Autumn Budget, which would have ended a long-standing freeze in fuel duty.

The government has since announced it will maintain the 5p per litre cut introduced in March 2022, keeping the current rate at nearly 53p per litre until the end of the year.

Mr Anderson said: "This is a victory for drivers, but the Treasury has not ruled out a 5p increase in January.

"So, I will keep pressing for fuel duty to stay frozen so Shropshire families and farmers are not penalised for living in rural areas where the car remains a necessity, not a luxury."

Mr Anderson warned that the planned increase would have cost the average driver an extra £78.10 per year, and a two-car household £156.

He argued that rural communities would be hardest hit, with more than two-thirds of South Shropshire residents commuting by car or van.

He also raised concerns about the effect on farmers, who faced a projected 10 per cent rise in red diesel costs by March 2027.

Fuel prices have climbed significantly following the escalation of conflict in Iran earlier this year.

Iran’s restrictions on tanker movements through the Strait of Hormuz have added 26p per litre to petrol and 44p per litre to diesel.

The RAC Foundation estimated that drivers have paid an additional £3 billion in fuel costs, including £500 million in extra VAT.