
Rachel Reeves told petrol prices would be near record highs without current fuel duty cuts
PETROL prices would be near record highs without the current fuel duty cuts, Rachel Reeves was warned today.
The AA cheered the lowest pump costs since July 2021 - but says it is solely due to the 5p cut to the hated driving tax won by The Sun's Keep It Down campaign.
A drop in the price of petrol saw service stations charge 132.3p a litre on Thursday – a fall from 135.5p in early April.
Without the 5p cut, the cost of fuelling a car would now be an average 138.3p a litre, according to the AA.
The Keep It Down tax break for drivers is safe until next year.
But Ms Reeves is under huge pressure from Labour MPs to find more money to fund benefits, and that could result in an onslaught of tax hikes at the 2026 Spring Budget.
Luke Bosdet, spokesperson for the AA said: 'The importance of the continuing 5p cut in fuel duty cannot be underestimated.
'Without the duty cut, petrol would still be uncomfortably close to the record level seen before the pandemic and Ukraine war economic shock.
'The Chancellor needs to consider this in upcoming tax deliberations.'
The Sun's asks Rachel Reeves' constituents their thoughts on fuel duty rises
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The Independent
15 minutes ago
- The Independent
Musk sends Republicans into chaos as he shreds Trump's ‘big beautiful bill' — ‘He doesn't get to vote'
Senate Republicans were in their luncheon as they begin the process to take up President Donald Trump's ' One Big, Beautiful Bill ' when Elon Musk blasted the legislation as an ' outrageous, pork-filled, disgusting abomination.' version of the massive domestic legislation bill that includes extending the 2017 tax cuts Trump signed, beefed up spending at the U.S.-Mexico border and oil drilling as well as massive changes to the social safety net in the United States. But just before Senate Majority Leader John Thune and the rest Republican leadership were about to begin their press conference, Musk, the just-departed head of Trump's Department of Government Efficiency, raged against the bill on X. 'I'm sorry, but I just can't stand it anymore,' he posted. 'This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.' Some Republicans sought to ignore it. Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa — who recently came under criticism for dismissing constituents concerned over Medicaid cuts at a local town hall with her response, ' Well, we're all going to die ' — brushed off a question from The Independent as she exited the Capitol and got into her car. Sen. Rick Scott said he had not read the Musk tweet, a common refrain from politicians not wishing to discuss a hot topic. When The Independent offered to show it to him, he brushed it off. 'I want to get the tax cuts permanent, the border money, the military, but we've got to get spending under control,' Scott, an ally of Trump, told The Independent. 'So I'm going to continue to work to bring down the deficit, to hopefully balance the budget the next three years.' Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin has in the past called for steeper cuts in the bill and praised Musk's comments, saying it 'bolsters' the points he made. "The only way I know how to do this is lay out the facts and figures and win the argument," Johnson told The Independent. Others, such as Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Katie Britt of Alabama, both members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, told The Independent they had not seen the tweet. Alabama's other Republican senator — Tommy Tuberville, a staunch ally of Trump — brushed off Musk's criticism. 'I ain't got any thoughts on that,' Tuberville said of the Musk posting. 'We got a lot of work to do. He doesn't get to vote.' House Speaker Mike Johnson, who spent weeks corralling various factions within the House GOP conference before he passed it in the wee hours of the morning last month before the House broke for recess, pushed back on Musk's criticism. 'It's very disappointing,' Johnson told reporters. 'With all due respect, my friend Elon is terribly wrong about the One Big, Beautiful Bill.' Other Republican senators made jokes about Musk's remarks. 'Does that mean he likes it?' Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio told The Independent. 'I think he's probably buying into the CBO scoring model, but look, ultimately, we haven't even gotten the bill yet right so we're gonna make it better.' The Congressional Budget Office, the nonpartisan body in Congress that scores how much legislation costs, estimated that extending the tax cuts in the bill would raise the debt by $3.8 trillion. But Republicans have pushed back on the estimate. Republicans have only 53 Senate seats, which is below the 60-seat threshold needed to overcome a filibuster. As a result, they hope to pass the bill through a process reconciliation, which allows them to pass legislation with a simple majority as long it relates to the budget. Musk recently exited the Trump administration after a months-long tenure at DOGE, where he slashed federal spending at numerous government agencies, including the US Agency for International Development. Other Republicans said they would work to improve the bill. 'He's certainly entitled his opinion,' Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who faces a tough primary challenge in Texas. 'And we're trying to make the bill better.' The bill is not the first time that Musk has wielded his significant following on X, the site then-known as Twitter that he purchased in 2022, to intervene in congressional affairs. In late 2024, he killed a bipartisan spending deal to keep the government open and said that the government should remain closed until Trump's swearing in. Musk pledged he would challenge any Republicans who voted for the bill. 'In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people,' he said. Even Republicans who criticized the bill seemed to balk at Musk's intervention. When Musk tweeted 'Congress is making America bankrupt,' Paul tweeted 'Some of us are trying to stop that.' But when The Independent asked if Paul had seen Musk's first tweet, he said 'I haven't seen it' as he exited and got into an elevator.


BBC News
20 minutes ago
- BBC News
Donald Trump doubles US steel and aluminium tariffs to 50%
US President Donald Trump has signed an order doubling tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from 25% to 50%.The move hikes import taxes on the metals - key inputs in everything from cars to canned food - for the second time in three has said the measures, which come into effect on Thursday, are intended to secure the future of the American steel industry. However, critics say the protections could wreak havoc on steel producers outside the US, spark retaliation from trade partners, and come at a punishing cost for American users of the metals. Hours before he hiked the duties, many firms directly affected could scarcely believe the plan was moving forward, hoping it would turn out to be temporary or some kind of negotiating as Trump moved forward with the deal, the UK was granted a carve-out from the measures, leaving duties on its steel and aluminium at 25%, a move Trump said reflected its ongoing trade discussions with the US. "Always the question with Mr Trump is, is this a tactic or is this a long-term plan?" said Rick Heuther, chief executive of Independent Can Co, a Maryland-based business, which brings in steel from Europe and turns it into decorative cookie tins, popcorn boxes, and other said he had put investments on hold and feared the abrupt changes, and price increases would lead his customers to turn to alternatives such as plastic or paper boxes. "There's a lot of chaos," he said. The US is the biggest importer of steel in the world, after the European Union, getting most of the metal from Canada, Brazil, Mexico and South Korea, according to the US his first term, Trump imposed tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminium, citing a law that gives him authority to protect industries considered vital to national security. But many imports ultimately escaped the duties after the US struck trade deals with allies and granted exemptions to certain imports at the request of ended those carve-outs in March, saying he was unhappy with the way the protections had been weakened. At Friday's rally at the US Steel factory, he said wanted to make tariffs so high that US businesses would have no alternative but to buy from American suppliers."Nobody's going to get around that," he said of the 50% rate. "That means that nobody's going to be able to steal your industry. It's at 25% - they can get over that fence. At 50%, they can no longer get over the fence." Reaction in the UK and Europe As of May, imports and the rate of raw steel production in the US had changed little since last year before Trump raised tariffs, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. But steel imports fell 17% in April, compared to March. And businesses selling the metals into the US said they expected Trump's latest announcement to lead to an even more dramatic drop. Trump's moves in March had already prompted Canada and the European Union to prepare to hit back with tariffs of their own American products. On Tuesday, Olof Gill, spokesperson for economic security and trade for the European Commission told the BBC the two sides were engaged in intense talks to try to make progress toward an agreement. "We're negotiating hard to try and make good deals," he said."We really hope that the Americans will roll back on this latest tariff threat, as they have done on others, but that remains to be seen." In the UK, Trump's announcement put new pressure on the government to pin down the trade deal in the works with the US, which had been expected to provide some protection from the March metals tariffs. Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds met with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Paris on Wednesday. His office said it was "pleased" that the trade talks had protected UK steel from the latest duties. "We will continue to work with the US to implement our agreement, which will see the 25% US tariffs on steel removed," he said. Gareth Stace, director general of UK Steel, which represents steelmakers, told the BBC that his members had already seen orders cancelled and delayed as a result of the 25% tariffs put in place in March. He warned that a 50% tariff would be "catastrophic" for UK exports to the US, about 7% of overall exports."The introduction of 50% tariffs immediately puts the shutters up," he said. "Most of our orders, if not all of them, will now be cancelled." Economists said the US economy is also facing damage, as prices rise as a result of the new measures. A 2020 analysis estimated that Trump's first term tariffs created roughly 1,000 jobs in the steel industry, but cost the economy 75,000 jobs in other sectors, such as manufacturing and York, vice president of federal tax policy at the Tax Foundation, said that she expected to see even more extreme job losses this time. "Some of the strongest evidence is against tariffs on intermediate inputs like steel and aluminium, finding they are much more harmful because they increase the cost of production in the United States," she said. "It's just very foolish to double down on this type of tariff in particular." Chad Bartusek is director of supply chain management at Drill Rod & Tool Steels, a small, family-owned manufacturing business in Illinois, which brings in about 800,000 pounds of Austrian-made steel each year, at specifications he says are not produced in the US. Mr Bartusek said he was currently waiting on three containers worth of steel rod, which would have entered the US without duties at the start of the of last week, he had expected to pay tariff costs about $72,000. Instead, he is looking at a tariff bill of almost $145,000. "I woke up Saturday morning, looked at the news and my jaw dropped," he said of Trump's announcement. Mr Bartusek said business had been steady until a few weeks ago. But his firm raised prices earlier this year by 8% to 14% to help cover the new cost of the tariffs. Now customers have been ordering more cautiously and he has had to cut back hours for workers. "It's one punch after the other," he said. "Hopefully, this settles down quickly."


BBC News
24 minutes ago
- BBC News
'Very good week' for England or 'back to the drawing board'?
Big-name retirements, an impressive display against Portugal but dominated by Spain days later. Has it been a positive week for England or a reality check?Sarina Wiegman's side are preparing to defend their European title in Switzerland next month but had two testing matches in the Women's Nations League to navigate first.A 6-0 victory over Portugal afforded the opportunity for returning stars to build their fitness after injuries, but Tuesday's game in Spain against the world champions was the ultimate litmus test to assess the level of the Lionesses going into the tournament. Key players back and new tests Manager Wiegman had her hands full going into the camp after goalkeeper Mary Earps announced her shock international retirement and key defender Millie Bright withdrew from the squad to focus on her mental and physical St-Germain stopper Earps had fallen down the pecking order, with Hannah Hampton increasingly looking more likely to secure the number one Wiegman admitted Earps would have been a valuable member of the Euros squad - and it had been "hard" to deal with her decision. That news was a major distraction as England prepared to face Portugal, piling pressure on Hampton and raising questions about the morale in the response was emphatic and admirable as they produced an immense display, thrashing Portugal in front of an entertained crowd at Beever-Jones demonstrated England's attacking depth with a brilliant hat-trick, while Lauren Hemp, Alex Greenwood and Georgia Stanway all got minutes after returning from knee positive signs cannot be forgotten, although their week did not end on a high as an elite Spain side fought back in style for a 2-1 success that took them into the Nations League England defender Anita Asante told ITV: "The most important thing is the right players are getting the right minutes to feel prepared going into the Euros."Karen Carney, a former Lionesses midfielder, added: "It's great we got fitness for Lauren Hemp and Alex Greenwood. "If we get them back fighting - it's a good position for them. I'm confident for England going into the group stages."Carney admitted England had to "suffer" against Spain because they rotated in the second half as Wiegman looked to expose some of her fringe players to the experience against world-class names her Euros squad on Thursday and handed a senior debut to Missy Bo Kearns, just hours before midfielder Fran Kirby announced her international retirement, capping off a rollercoaster week for the Dutchwoman."Sometimes you have to go through these moments because the bigger picture for the summer is giving players the minutes that they need," added Carney."The changes in the second half really hampered England and we felt disconnected. It is a positive because Wiegman has got a lot to learn."The England boss echoed that sentiment, saying she was not concerned and could use the Spain loss as another "learning moment"."We had a very good week - players coming back from injuries, players fighting for positions, or minutes, or selection, and that is very positive." 'I would rather have a lesson now' But while there were certainly positives - most notably the Portugal performance after such a disruptive build-up - the second-half display in their defeat by Spain showed they clearly have work to France, the Netherlands and Wales awaiting them in the group stages at the Euros, they do not have time to get up to are tipped by many to be the tournament favourites and will undoubtedly be one of England's biggest obstacles if they want to defend their would have been unsettling, then, to see how easily Montse Tome's side dominated possession in the second half and put the visitors under relentless pressure and should have scored more goals than the two from substitute Claudia Pina."It's back to the drawing board against our old rival Spain," said former England international Lindsay Johnson on BBC Radio 5 Live. "In the first half, England looked confident in that low block, and they hit Spain on the transition. "In the second half, England really dropped off, Spain upped their game and England couldn't get anywhere near Spain. They were chasing shadows."Captain Leah Williamson admitted her side's performances away from home recently have been "difficult".It has been an inconsistent Women's Nations League campaign for the were held to a 1-1 draw in Portugal, then beat Spain at Wembley days later in February. In April, they thrashed Belgium 5-0 at home, then lost 3-2 in Leuven."What we have been saying the whole time is that 'it's the new England'. So we wanted to try different things as well," Williamson told BBC Radio 5 Live. "There was more inconsistency than we like, but you have seen very good sides of us. They are the levels we need to keep pushing for and hopefully we will be ready [for the Euros]."We would have liked to pick up a win [against Spain]. That would have done wonders for our confidence, how we feel and how we look ahead."But we can't forget all the work we have done. As we always say, I would rather have a lesson now than in a month's time."England will have another opportunity to piece things together when they face Jamaica in a friendly on 29 June - their final match before the Euros. Head here to get involved