With a cost of living crisis continuing to affect millions of citizens and countless businesses and showing few signs of alleviating, many British members of parliament want to see a pump pricing watchdog implemented as a matter of urgency, with thirty MPs calling for a closer look at FairFuelUK’s PumpWatch.
In a letter coordinated by Tory MP Jonathan Gullis with Howard Cox, founder of FairFuelUK, 30 MPs have called on the Business Minister Grant Shapps to investigate introducing FairFuelUK’s PumpWatch proposal.
The request is also supported by the Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, who wants to know how such a consumer price protection watchdog would work in practice. The MPs calling on the Minister to act are:
The Rt Hon Brandon Lewis MP
Sir William Cash MP
Scott Benton MP
Karl McCartney MP
The Rt Hon Priti Patel MP
The Rt Hon Wendy Morton MP
Sir Graham Brady MP
Kelly Tolhurst MP
Jason McCartney MP
Craig Mackinlay MP
Bob Blackman MP
Gordon Henderson MP
Esther McVey MP
Greg Smith MP
Katherine Fletcher MP
Philip Davies MP
Natalie Elphicke MP
Philip Hollobone MP
Henry Smith MP
Andrea Jenkyns MP
Pauline Latham MP
Lee Anderson MP
Mark Jenkinson MP
Chris Loder MP
Brendan Clarke-Smith MP
Nick Fletcher MP
Virginia Crosbie MP
Heather Wheeler MP
Andy Carter MP
The coordinated letter sent by the MPs listed above to Business Minister Grant Shapps can be read here.
Jonathan Gullis MP said, “Along with FairFuelUK’s backing for PumpWatch, whether this watchdog is introduced as a voluntary participation body or if it must evolve into a full-blown watchdog with legislative powers, my MP colleagues and constituents in Stoke-on-Trent Kidsgrove and Talke believe that something must be done now to check the chronic fleecing of motorists.”
“So, along with my fellow MPs, and the APPG for Fair Fuel for UK Motorists and UK Hauliers, I propose we review and adopt the FairFuelUK PumpWatch proposals. In the scheme of things, this popular antidote to inflationary pressure will cost the Government very little to implement. And simply involve a small team of analysts headed by the independent consumer fuel campaigning expert, Howard Cox.”
Craig Mackinlay, MP and Chair of the Fair Fuel APPG, said, “Wholesale oil prices are way down from historic highs, but the price at the pump has moved down by mere buttons. It is now even more obvious that motorists are being fleeced by the fuel retailers, and it’s time for a ‘Pumpwatch’ price monitor to highlight the truth and bring such blatant profiteering to heel.”
Howard Cox, Founder of FairFuelUK, says, “We should be seeing fuel price signposts across the country, at least 10-20p per litre lower for petrol and diesel. The fact they are not, shows just how greedy the fuel supply chain continues to be. With Shell and BP shortly to announce yet more huge profits, cutting pump prices to honest levels would not hurt these giant businesses one iota.”
“What’s more, this surprisingly and increasingly anti-motorist Tory administration up until now seems to be sitting back, dare I say it, almost encouraging the fuel supply chain to continue to fleece drivers at the pumps.”
“But the political signs are encouraging at last, so hopefully, the March Budget will continue to freeze duty at the current level and be a platform to announce PumpWatch.”
“Don’t forget about the many billions of extra VAT pouring into the Treasury due to those eye-watering pump prices in the last 12 months. The sickening double taxation should be looked at too. It is not only immoral, but it also verges on being criminal.”
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