REVEALED: LABOUR PLAN FUEL TAX WHAMMY

REVEALED: LABOUR PLAN FUEL TAX WHAMMY

SNP MPs WILL OPPOSE LABOUR’S MOVE TO HIT SCOTLAND’S HOUSEHOLDS

PETROL INCREASES 65% MORE THAN INFLATION OVER TEN YEARS UNDER LABOUR

Labour plans to hit ordinary households with more fuel tax pain . Labour's pre-manifesto - The choice for Britain - states a future Labour Government will pay for their bail out of the banks with "an increase in fuel duty". Putting the burden for the bank bailout on drivers wallets.

This is despite the fact that their increases in fuel duty over the last 12 years of Labour ha ve seen petrol prices increase well ahead of inflation. According to the AA Fuel Report the increase between January 2000 and January 2010 has been about 65% higher than the equivalent rate of inflation over the period.

SNP Westminster Treasury spokesperson Stewart Hosie said that this confirmation by Labour that they will continue with their fuel tax whammy if elected will be opposed by the SNP who will put the introduction of a fuel tax regulator as a key plank in the party’s Westminster election manifesto.

Commenting Mr Hosie said:

“This revelation that Labour will yet again use fuel tax to hammer household motorists and hauliers to pay for their bank bail out confirms that Labour and Gordon Brown have learnt nothing from their years in government.

“Sky high fuel taxes imposed by Gordon Brown, and latterly Alistair Darling, are indiscriminate and effectively a poll tax on wheels.

“It’s not just hauliers who suffer but households struggling to run a car for family use. The effects of sky high fuel taxes also impact on prices in the shop as it costs more to deliver food and other products to the shops.

“It is galling that they should target ordinary people in this way to pay for the bail out of a banking system failure they helped create.

“I can categorically say that SNP MPs elected in the coming election will continue to oppose Labour's arbitrary fuel tax hikes and support the introduction of a fuel duty regulator to ensure price stability as well as lower fuel taxes for remote areas.

“An oil rich nation such as Scotland should be reaping the benefits from our natural resources – not watching as North Sea revenues flow into a black hole in Treasury coffers while the Scottish budget is slashed.”