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BRITISH motorists were told they pay a higher rate of tax than multi-billion-pound firms - as the first Labour MP backed our Keep It Down campaign.

Sixty per cent of the price of petrol and diesel is made up of duties and VAT in Britain, one of the highest percentages across Europe.

The Independent's chief political commentator John Rentoul and FairFuelUK's Howard Cox on Never Mind The Ballots
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The Independent's chief political commentator John Rentoul and FairFuelUK's Howard Cox on Never Mind The BallotsCredit: Simon Jones
The Sun's Keep It Down campaign  has pressured ministers to keep fuel duty frozen for more than a decade
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The Sun's Keep It Down campaign has pressured ministers to keep fuel duty frozen for more than a decade
Labour MP Graham Stringer
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Labour MP Graham StringerCredit: Alamy Live News

FairFuelUK’s Howard Cox insisted the Chancellor has no excuse to squeeze drivers further in the Budget when businesses only pay 25 per cent on their profits.

His comments came as Graham Stringer became the first Labour MP to back The Sun's crusade to freeze fuel duty this year. 

Our campaign has pressured ministers to keep the tax frozen for more than a decade but speculation is mounting Rachel Reeves will reverse the 5p cut and reinstate an inflationary increase next week. 

This could add £3.85 to the cost of filling up an average family car.

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Mr Stringer, the MP for Blackley and Middleton South, said: "It would be a mistake to put fuel duty up. It would impact the economy. If we want to improve productivity which we do, hiking fuel is not the way to do it as it would hit businesses and the cost of doing business."

In a special Never Mind The Ballots episode on fuel duty, Mr Cox also said increasing fuel duty next week would breach Labour’s manifesto promise not to raise taxes on working people.

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He blasted: "Something like 70 per cent of people drive, 37 million drivers need their car. They have got no choice, especially in rural areas and suburban areas.

"We have  got situation where corporation taxes are 25 per cent, income tax, the highest at 40 per cent, and fuel duty is 60 per cent so why put it up even more?"

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