THE Sun’s Keep It Down campaign hits the accelerator today as Labour backs the mounting calls to freeze fuel duty.
Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves is demanding Jeremy Hunt spares drivers from an increase at the pumps in his next Budget.
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She points to official analysis showing motorists face a 12p per litre hike if Ministers raise the petrol levy by inflation and end the temporary 5p cut.
Rishi Sunak has repeatedly refused to rule out whacking up fuel duty for the first time in 12 years.
As Chancellor he announced the extra 5p reduction for 12 months to cushion rocketing pump prices.
Extending it beyond March will cost the Treasury an estimated £6billion.
But economists now hope plummeting energy costs will hand the Chancellor a £10billion windfall ahead of the March 15 Budget.
Ms Reeves says Mr Hunt must use any headroom to protect drivers.
She said: “With so many families and businesses reliant on their cars, the government must rule out yet another fuel duty rise at the Budget to ease some of those pressures and prevent yet another shock to our economy.”
Ms Reeves also demanded forecourts stop the “dither and delay in passing on any dips in prices on to motorists”.
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Howard Cox, founder of FairFuel UK, called the announcement a “gobsmacking political about-face that will secure votes for Labour”.
He said: “The traditional party of lower taxation, the Tories, are being trumped by Keir Starmer’s common sense and surprising new support for drivers.
“I thought I’d never see such a fiscal epiphany but it’s refreshing news for the world’s highest taxed motorists under threat from the Chancellor’s 23 per cent planned Budget fuel duty hike in March.”
A government spokesman said: “No decisions have been made on fuel duty rates, which is a matter for the Spring Budget and will align with the Office for Budget Responsibility’s Spring economic forecast.
“Global price rises are hitting pockets hard in the UK, which is why our plan to halve inflation this year will allow everyone’s income to go further.
“We are also providing significant support to help people through these tough times by holding down energy bills and delivering up to £1,350 in direct cash payments to millions of vulnerable households, on top of changes to National Insurance which will save £500 on average for around 30 million people this year.”
