Victory for The Sun as fuel duty frozen for a record TENTH year – as PM promises Budget will work for White Van Man
FUEL duty will be frozen at this week's Budget for the TENTH year running in a major victory for the Sun's legendary Keep It Down campaign.
Boris Johnson said: “I firmly believe that the economic recovery is going to be powered by white van man amongst others.”
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And The Sun understands that means freezing the hated levy at 57.95p per litre after plans to hike it were abandoned amid fears it will punish drivers who are helping the country bounce back.
At the weekend Chancellor Rishi Sunak insisted: "I would like to be able to keep taxes low for people in general.
"I'm a conservative and I believe in that."
And a Treasury source said: "Throughout this crisis the Chancellor has protected the wallets of hard working Sun readers and that will continue at this Budget and beyond."
The stunning victory for hard-pressed drivers - who already pay the most for at the pumps in Europe - comes after a decade of campaigning by Fair Fuel UK and Tory MPs led by powerful backbencher Robert Halfon.
Mr Halfon said: "A big thank you to the Sun Keep it Down campaign and Fair Fuel UK.
And he said the move shows “cutting the cost of living isn't just a slogan but a meaningful pledge from Boris.”
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“Millions of motorists will breathe a big sigh of relief as the Chancellor has recognised their plight."
Howard Cox, founder of Fair Fuel UK, said: "Motorists, van drivers and truckers across the UK will be thrilled at this decision and they will hope this is just the start of more pro motoring policies to come.
"The cost of navigating our roads remains the highest in the world and drivers still feel demonised for all environmental ills, but continuing the cap on duty will be saluted."
The Sun says
WE are delighted Rishi Sunak has seen sense on freezing fuel tax, like three Tory Chancellors before him.
They all liked to moan that The Sun’s decade-long Keep It Down campaign cost them a fortune in lost revenue.
It is only true if you disregard the savings drivers plough back into the economy.
Hiking fuel tax in tomorrow’s Budget would have been a brake on growth we can ill afford.
Especially with Covid making Brits wary of public transport and even more dependent on their cars.
It would have been a bitter blow to White Van Man too.
We just hope Mr Sunak further agrees with the folly of raising taxes at all.
As one economist after another is warning him, it just is not the moment.
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