Dan Tomlinson

My hon. Friend is right: the Opposition are totally on the wrong side of common-sense public opinion in this country. On the most important of tests, they have failed. He is also right to point out that the fuel duty increase is pencilled in for September, as the Chancellor set out in last year’s Budget. I think it is worth reminding the House that fuel duty right now is lower than it was in 12 of the 14 years of the Conservative Government. In 2010, 2011, 2012 and all the way up to 2022, fuel duty was higher than it is now. In the 2025 Budget, we extended the temporary 5p per litre cut in fuel duty until the end of August this year, and we cancelled the inflation-linked increase that had been planned for 2026-27. Taken together with decisions made since the 2024 Budget, the Government’s fuel duty freeze will save the average motorist more than £90 compared with the plans that we inherited. Conservative Members, who have made contributions in this debate, stood in the July 2024 general election on spending plans that would have had fuel duty increase by 5p—[Interruption.] Yes, it is true. Unless the Conservatives are disowning the official forecasts that were published before the general election and the manifesto on which they stood—which, by the way, did not mention plans for fuel duty—I think we are again discovering that there were further black holes in the Conservatives’ spending plans. Their plans, which were set out in the official forecast in the run-up to the general election, said that fuel duty would increase by 5p last year—by RPI last year—and then by RPI again this year. We have instead chosen to freeze fuel duty both last year and this year and to maintain the 5p cut until September of this year. The Liberal Democrat spokesperson, the hon. Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale (Tim Farron), and other Members made very important points about the impact of fuel price increases on those in rural communities. He will be aware, as I believe it applies to his constituency and to some of the others mentioned today, of the rural fuel duty relief scheme, which does provide a reduction to motorists in those parts of the country that are more rural. As I said in a Westminster Hall debate, which some in this Chamber attended, I am always happy to receive representations on whether that scheme should be widened. The hon. Member for Gordon and Buchan (Harriet Cross) asked about the electric vehicle excise duty change that will be introduced in the coming years, and whether it will be extended. No, it will not. The plan is as set out at the Budget last year. Government Members think that it is fair that all vehicles that contribute to the wear and tear on our roads should also contribute towards the repair costs and to the public finances, and they will do so at a lower rate of 3p rather than 6p, which was the average amount paid by those who pay fuel duty.