SNP-Led Pressure on Chancellor Leads to Fuel Duty Freeze
Wednesday 27 June 2012
Banff
& Buchan MP Dr Eilidh Whiteford
has welcomed the announcement from the UK Chancellor that the planned fuel
duty increase of 3 pence a litre will not now go ahead in August.
Dr
Whiteford was part of a cross-party campaign led by SNP Finance Spokesperson
Stewart Hosie MP who were campaigning against this increase and also took part
in a delegation to 10 Downing
Street last year with motoring and road haulage
organisations.
Speaking
today Dr Whiteford said:
“I am very happy that this pressure, led by the SNP, has
resulted in another UK
Treasury U-turn.
“Ever since I’ve been in Parliament I have been campaigning for,
not only lower fuel duty, but local control of fuel duty.
“While families and businesses will welcome this announcement,
we in the North of Scotland are still suffering from some of the highest fuel
prices in Europe, most of which is tax which goes straight to the London
Treasury.
“While I welcome the announcement from the Treasury, the fact
remains that as long as fuel duty is set in London we will have to wait years
for derogations or for surprise announcements from Parliament.”