As the conflict in the Middle East sends tremors through the global energy markets, the cost of filling up the family car has once again become a source of acute financial pain for millions of British households. The price at the pump, which had been slowly and mercifully drifting downwards, has reversed course, climbing back towards levels that induce a sharp intake of breath. Into this crisis has stepped Scotland’s First Minister, John Swinney, with a political demand that is as blunt as it is predictable. The SNP has launched a major campaign calling on the UK Government in Westminster to cut fuel prices and scrap a planned increase in fuel duty.
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Swinney’s argument is straightforward and, on the surface, difficult to argue with. He contends that the UK Government has the power to alleviate the financial burden on motorists and businesses by reducing the tax take on fuel. He points to the economic turmoil caused by the conflict in the Middle East and argues that now is not the time for the Treasury to be taking a larger slice of the pie. The SNP’s demand includes the immediate scrapping of a planned fuel duty increase scheduled for later this year. It is a populist plea designed to resonate with voters in Scotland, particularly those in rural and remote communities who are heavily reliant on their cars and face some of the highest fuel prices in the UK.
