The Westminster government’s shambolic handling of fuel prices is pushing haulage firms in North-east Scotland to the brink by volatile costs and a lack of support.
The Westminster government is preparing to reintroduce fuel duty in stages from September, which I believe will act like a stealth tax on the backbone of the Scottish economy.
In my opinion, it’s is a total farce that Scotland – the nation that fills Westminster’s coffers with oil revenues – is being forced to pay some of the highest pump prices in Europe.
Local hauliers are telling me they simply cannot plan for next month, let alone next year, because of volatile price fluctuations.
The SNP has been clear: We need a Fuel Duty Regulator now. We need the VAT on duty scrapped.
Instead, we have a Westminster government that is happy to find money for steelworks in the south of England while standing idly by as the Grangemouth refinery closes its doors.
By allowing our refining infrastructure to vanish while hiking taxes on fuel, the Westminster government is effectively sabotaging Scottish industry. I have written to the Minister today to demand they stop the planned duty increases and finally give our hauliers the stability they deserve.
