By Sara Rainwater, operations director at the TaxPayers' Alliance
As the cost of living crisis deepens, the amount drivers are paying at the pump has hit an all time high - prices hit an average of 191.53 pence for unleaded and 199.03 pence for diesel according to the RAC this morning.
Even my rather fuel efficient Toyota Yaris hybrid now costs an eye-watering amount to fill up. What used to be £40 for a full tank a year ago is well over £70 today. Granted, my tank lasts a little bit longer than a regular petrol engine, but it’s still enough to make you break down (if you’ll pardon the pun).
Perhaps that’s why today campaigners have taken to the motorways, creating rolling blockades across the country in protest at the price of fuel.
To help ease the cost of living crisis, 17 EU member states, alongside a number of other countries across the globe, have cut fuel taxes. Notably, fuel duty excise has been cut in:
- New Zealand for six months by 25 cents (13p) a litre
- Germany for three months by 30 cents (26p) for petrol and diesel by 14 cents (12p) per litre
- Ireland for six months by 20 cents (17p) for petrol and 15 cents (13p) for diesel a per litre
If the chancellor really wants to step up and help people fight back against this cost of living crisis, he should get ahead of the fuel protesters on the motorways and slash taxes on petrol. Cutting fuel duty again would be a big stride forward in helping struggling households across Britain.
Whatever you think of their methods, the protestors are right that having fuel prices pushed even higher by excessive taxes is madness. I’m not normally one for protesting, but part of me wishes I could get out there today and show my support. Ironically, I can’t actually afford the petrol to drive to meet them.