MOTORISTS were told yesterday they pay a higher rate of tax than multi-billion-pound firms — as the first Labour MP backed our Keep It Down campaign.
FairFuelUK’s Howard Cox said there was no excuse for targeting drivers in the Budget when duty accounts for 60 per cent of pump prices.
Businesses only pay 25 per cent tax on profits.
Mr Cox’s comments came as Graham Stringer became the first Labour MP to back our crusade to freeze fuel duty.
Mr Stringer, the MP for Blackley and Middleton South said: “It would be a mistake to put fuel duty up.
“It would impact the economy.
“If we want to improve productivity which we do, hiking fuel is not the way to do it as it would hit businesses and the cost of doing business.”
In a special Never Mind The Ballots episode on fuel duty, Mr Cox also said increasing fuel duty next week would breach Labour’s manifesto promise not to raise taxes on working people.
He blasted: “Something like 70 per cent of people drive, 37 million drivers need their car.
“They have got no choice, especially in rural areas and suburban areas.
“We have got a situation where corporation taxes are 25 per cent, income tax, the highest at 40 per cent, and fuel duty is 60 per cent so why put it up even more.”
If Rachel Reeves axes the 5p cut and reinstates an inflationary increase next week, it could add £3.85 to the cost of filling up an average family car.