Lib Dems press for 10p fuel duty cut until Christmas

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey has urged Andy Burnham to cut fuel duty by 10p a litre at least until Christmas to ease cost-of-living pressures.

The move could be paid for through the money higher oil, gas and energy prices bring into the Treasury coffers and give some relief amid the rise in the cost of getting around caused by “Donald Trump’s idiotic war with Iran”, he said.

The party also wants the planned 3p fuel duty rise due in January to be scrapped.

It comes as Chancellor John Healey is facing pressure to take measures at next month’s Budget to alleviate the impact of rising costs on the public.

Sir Ed Davey poses for a group photo after taking part in a litter pick on Brighton Beach during the Liberal Democrat Party conference (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

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Prime Minister Andy Burnham said earlier this week that Mr Healey would use the “highest degree of prudence” on the economy, but also look to protect living standards.

Sir Ed told the Press Association: “The Government’s getting a huge amount of money into the exchequer because of higher oil and gas prices, higher energy profits levy, higher gas tax revenue, higher VAT.

“And rather than keeping that in when people are struggling with the cost of living, with the cost of fitting up their car with petrol and diesel, we think they should give it back.

“And if they did that by cutting fuel duty by 10p, that’d be a 12p reduction at the pumps.

“That would really help people who are struggling with fuel costs.”

The party also wants to slash bus fares to £1, cut rail fares by 10% and make driving electric cars cheaper by cutting VAT on public charging and reviewing the network costs that push up charging prices.

At a rally on the first night of the conference, Sir Ed took aim at Nigel Farage and Elon Musk as he pledged the party would not give up its fight against “nasty populism”.

The Lib Dems returned a record number of MPs at the last general election, but has struggled to capture the same attention Reform UK and the Green Party have been generating since.

The party is seeking to firm up a platform for the next general election at its four-day conference.

Asked if he thought he had the charisma to take on Green leader Zack Polanski and Mr Farage, Sir Ed told PA: “100%. Now I do my politics differently from them.

“It’s very easy to be exciting if you say things that are a bit crazy.

“You know, Donald Trump’s very exciting, and he’s damaging America and damaging the world.

“Nigel Farage is very exciting, but he wants to bring that Trump damage to our country, and we’re going to stop him.”

Sir Ed Davey took part in a litter pick on Brighton Beach (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

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He said the best way to do that is with “real, clear policies” that will work.

He said: “And you know I think I’m known for having a bit of fun too, because I think you need to get a bit of joy back to politics. But it’s a serious thing too.”

Sir Ed joined campaigners to pick up litter at a beach clean on Brighton seafront on Sunday, and handed out donuts to carers on Brighton Pier afterwards.

Meanwhile, his deputy Daisy Cooper set out plans to strike a growth and defence partnership with Europe and seek to entice start-ups to stay in the UK as part of the party’s proposal for the economy on the second day of its conference in Brighton.