Normal working people NEED their cars – unfreezing fuel duty in Budget would be a disaster, warns Jeremy Clarkson

JEREMY Clarkson led the charge last night in an eve of Budget plea to Rachel Reeves to spare Britain’s 37million striver drivers.

MPs of all stripes, motoring champions and celebrities united behind one message to the Chancellor: “Keep it Down!”

Their plea came amid fears of a damaging 7p a litre fuel duty rise.

They urged Ms Reeves to resist Treasury demands to raise the levy and scrap the 14-year freeze secured by The Sun’s Keep It Down campaign with FairFuelUK.

Fears have been mounting that the Government could reverse the 5p cut and reinstate an inflationary increase to help shore up public finances.

Worries intensified yesterday when the Chancellor refused to rule out a rise, telling the Commons the Tories had planned one this year.

But opponents said working people and businesses would be hardest hit if an increase was declared — and Labour would be “never forgiven”.

Backing our crusade, Clarkson’s Farm star and Sun columnist Jeremy said: “If you live in Kentish Town, then you are well served by many transport options. If you don’t live in Kentish Town, you aren’t.

“You need a car and you need to be able to afford to drive it.”

Shadow Chancellor Jeremy Hunt declared that people who drove to their jobs were “working people, not fat-cats”.

He said: “Every single one will remember if the Chancellor double-crosses them today.”

Tory leadership hopeful Kemi Badenoch added that Labour would not get the economy growing by “making it more expensive to fill up”.

Her rival for the top spot, Robert Jenrick, said: “Working people are going to suffer and our economic recovery will take a huge hit.”

Former Cabinet Ministers Dame Priti Patel and Esther McVey also warned a fuel duty rise would “hit the pockets of working people hard”.

They said Ms Reeves “will never be forgiven” if she pushes it through.

Tory MP Saqib Bhatti attacked the Chancellor’s rumoured tax increases in the Budget, calling them a “Socialist raid” on ordinary people.

He said: “The least the Chancellor can do is back Britain’s 37million motorists and keep the cost of fuel down this winter by maintaining the Conservatives’ 5p freeze in fuel duty.”

Working people are going to suffer and our economic recovery will take a huge hit

Robert Jenrick

More Labour MPs joined the chorus, with Graham Stringer saying: “Keeping fuel duty low is fundamental to the health of the economy. Increasing fuel duty will make economic growth more difficult.”

MP for Dunfermline and Dollar Graeme Downie said: “I have seen the impact of unfair fuel prices in my own constituency.

“Fuel costs must be kept fair and as low as possible.”

Hyndburn MP Sarah Smith added: “I urge the chancellor to continue the fuel duty tax freeze.

“This will help economic growth and will make a huge difference to the residents and businesses in my constituency.”

‘Hammer blow’

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey and Reform boss Nigel Farage added their voices to the call. Mr Davey said: “Any rise in fuel duty would be a hammer blow for rural communities and those who need to use their cars to get to work.

“In the midst of a cost of living crisis, this would be completely the wrong step to take, piling even more pressure on already stretched household budgets.”

Mr Farage added: “Rachel, keep the fuel freeze or you hurt the worst-off.”

FairFuelUK founder Howard Cox insisted inflation was being kept in check partly due to lower fuel prices. 

He said: “Why doesn’t the Treasury recognise that lower fuel prices always mean economic growth?”

AA President Edmund King highlighted the heavy tax burden already weighing on drivers.

He said: “Almost 60 per cent of the pump price already goes to the Treasury in tax.

“Driving is a necessity not a luxury and any hike in duty will backfire by hitting those who can least afford it while potentially fuelling inflation.”