April Fuels Day - Labour's new tax raid on motorists starts today

Today may as well be known as April Fuels Day as Labour's latest tax raid on motorists takes effect today.

Despite long-standing campaigns from Plaid and leading industry voices calling for fuel duty to be frozen, the Chancellor announced in his Budget that fuel duty would rise from today and againa in October and again next January.

By then, January 2011, there will have been six increases in fuel duty since December 2008 marking a 17% rise overall.

Fuel duty had already risen by 11.6% in the last 18 months and is rising again by a further penny per litre today.

Meanwhile, the AA estimates that the average cost of running a family car has increased by £52 per month in the last year.

The cost of petrol at the pump has increased by 17% since early-February.

These increases are hurting hard-working families, small businesses, public services and especially those in rural areas.

Plaid has already criticised this fuel duty hike in an Early Day Motion lodged at the start of the week we demanded a freeze in fuel duty and we repeat our call for the introduction of a fair fuel duty regulator which would cap fuel prices.

The price of petrol at the pump has risen significantly since early February and is starting to be felt strongly by people from all walks of life. For many people who rely on their car for work or family life, this is a heavy and unexpected burden at a time when they are economically stretched.

Labour will soon have pushed fuel duty up by 17% in barely two years, well above inflation.

We need to be supporting struggling communities and industries or we risk damaging a very fragile economic recovery.

This unfair fuel tax is another example of an uncaring, out of touch Westminster Government.

Phil