15 hours ago
Hard-pressed Brits face MORE misery at the pumps as fears mount Rachel Reeves will hike fuel duty
DRIVERS already hammered by soaring motoring taxes could face fresh pain at the pump with a fuel duty hike.
Rachel Reeves is understood to be 'considering everything' at the next Budget after her welfare U-turn — prompting fears for motorists.
Top Tory Dame Priti Patel said a hike would mean a 'betrayal of working people'.
The AA says motorists are already being squeezed, with Vehicle Excise Duty rising by £30 since 2022, plus millions more paid in parking charges, tolls and congestion fees.
AA boss Edmund King also warned any rise at the pumps 'could be catastrophic' for the UK economy.
He added: 'The added danger is increased duty simply fuels higher inflation. The strong message to the Chancellor is 'keep it down'.'
The AA says motorists are already being squeezed from all sides, with Vehicle Excise Duty jumping from £165 to £195 since 2022, and millions more paid in parking charges, tolls and congestion fees.
Drivers of older cars, including popular models like the Ford Fiesta and VW Golf, also face a £160 tax hike when they are eventually forced to upgrade to newer vehicles.
The Sun's Keep It Down campaign has helped freeze fuel duty since 2011 - saving drivers thousands but ministers are under pressure to find cash after billions were pledged to reverse planned welfare cuts.
A Treasury spokesperson said: 'We extended the fuel duty cut this year, saving drivers £3billion, and we're investing £1.6billion to end the pothole plague by fixing up to seven million extra potholes.'
Pressed on whether she would raise taxes, Reeves said: 'Of course there is a cost to the welfare changes that parliament voted through this week and that will be reflected in the budget.
'But I'm also very, very clear that [the] stability that we've been able to return to the economy, which has enabled the Bank of England to cut interests rates four times, is only possible because of the fiscal discipline which is underpinned by the fiscal rules.
"And we'll be sticking to those because they're absolutely vital for the living standards of working people and also the costs that businesses face.'
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