McMillan Comments on Fuel Duty Rise

Stuart McMillan MSP, (SNP) has commented on today’s (Friday) fuel duty rise which puts another 1p on the cost of a litre of petrol and diesel.

Mr McMillan said;

"This increase will have a crippling effect on businesses and households and threatens the wider economic recovery. Instead of stopping Labour’s highway robbery, the Con/Dem coalition is pushing up the cost of living for East Dunbartonshire households.

"It’s a national scandal that, in an oil rich country like Scotland, we are paying the highest fuel prices in Europe. The Treasury cannot justify hammering hard pressed motorists and businesses. This duty increase is bad enough, but will be compounded with the VAT increase in January.

"What Ministers in London forget is that for people in rural areas, a car is a necessity and not a luxury. Pushing up fuel prices is absolutely the wrong thing to do as we emerge from recession and these increases will actually hinder economic recovery.

"A fair fuel regulator is the only way to ensure that Scotland’s essential industries and households are not continually hit by rising prices."Scottish motorists and our hard pressed haulage industry need immediate action to bring down fuel costs and the coalition government will be held to their word."