UK Government Faces Pressure to Cut Fuel Duty as Diesel Hits £2

Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced the integration of petrol and diesel price comparisons into Google Maps as fuel costs reach record highs. The move comes as diesel prices surpassed £2 per litre, with the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero reporting the highest weekly average since 2018.

Political and industry leaders have dismissed the price-comparison tool as insufficient. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey is calling for an immediate 10p per litre fuel duty cut, which he argues would reduce pump prices by 12p. Davey claims the Treasury can fund this reduction using increased tax revenues collected from higher oil, gas, and energy prices.

Simultaneously, the campaign group FairFuelUK has demanded immediate government action to stabilize diesel supply and cut fuel duty. Founder Howard Cox characterized a recent diesel arrangement between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump as political theatre, arguing that the volumes are too small to alleviate the global shortage. FairFuelUK warned that because the United Kingdom relies heavily on United States imports, shifts in American supply leave British motorists exposed to further price volatility. The group is also urging a Competition and Markets Authority investigation into the fuel supply chain to prevent opportunistic profiteering.