BORIS Johnson has given drivers a huge boost today by saying he has “no intention” of rising fuel duty.
The PM made the promise but did not say how he’d settle the £9billion bill it would cost the Treasury.
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‘NO INTENTION’
Mr Johnson said: “We don’t want to raise fuel duty, I have absolutely no intention to raise fuel duty.”
Boris’ pledge to keep the freeze in place next year is a huge victory for The Sun’s long-running Keep It Down campaign and will save millions of motorists £150 a year.
We have persuaded successive Chancellors to halt the annual tax raids on motorists – allowing them to keep more than £1,000 in total since 2010.
Fuel duty would rise by inflation every April without the freeze in place.
The FairFuel campaign had feared the failure to commit to the freeze in the Tory manifesto meant fuel duty would rise for the first time in a decade.
The move ensures motorists save £1.50 every time they fill up an average 55-litre average tank.
And for a big truck it would save up to £24 per fill-up.
£9BILLION BILL
But Boris’ vow would cost the the Treasury billions and experts have warned any further plans to slash the duty could lead to a “huge long-run fiscal challenge”.
Last month the Institute for Fiscal Studies, an independent financial body, said the Treasury had lost out on a potential £5.5bn since the Tories decided to freeze fuel duty, when they came into power in 2010.
After making his fuel duty pledge, Boris was quick to to attack Jeremy Corbyn’s Marxist blueprint for Britain and said his “sledgehammer” plans would cost every Brit an extra £2,400 in tax.
We don’t want to raise fuel duty, I have absolutely no intention to raise fuel duty.
Boris Johnson
He told a press conference in Westminster: “I’m not going to miss the opportunity to contrast our approach with the catastrophic sledgehammer that Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour party would take to the UK economy.
“It would mean huge tax rises for working people, it would mean everybody paying £2,400 more in tax, his prospectus is economically ruinous.”
Howard Cox, founder of the Fair Fuel campaign, said: “Drivers will be delighted that Boris Johnson has publicly committed to freezing Fuel Duty for the 10th successive year.
“It’s a huge sigh of relief to motorists and hauliers, as there was no mention of this levy’s future, mentioned in his manifesto.”
He added: “Boris must win the General Election with a majority to protect UK’s 37m drivers. the economy and implement real science to improve air quality not draconian tax hikes and bans.”
Mr Corbyn has vowed to raise fuel duty in an effort to appease green voters by cutting the amount of cars on the road.
The move was slammed as a “disaster for drivers” by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.
Mr Shapps said: “It is now clear that Labour have secret plans to clobber hardworking people with a barrage of tax hikes on their family car, that would leave families with less money in their pockets.
“Labour’s extreme economic policies would be a disaster for drivers.”
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