SALMOND CALLS FOR FAIR PLAY ON FUEL

SALMOND CALLS FOR FAIR PLAY ON FUEL

ONLY SNP CHAMPIONS WILL FIGHT FOR BETTER DEAL

SNP Leader and First Minister Alex Salmond MSP today (Saturday) joined
Westminster candidate for Gordon, Richard Thomson, at a Huntly filling
station to highlight the burden put on Scottish families by rising fuel
prices.

The average price of a litre of petrol across Scotland has now exceeded
£1.20 with the price in rural areas now reaching as much as £1.30.

Mr Salmond hit out at the London parties who have failed to tackle the
problem of rising fuel prices and said that the only way to reduce the
impact of price hikes was to elect an SNP champion.

While Labour MPs voted for a price hike and Tory MPs sat back and did
nothing, only SNP MPs have pushed for fairer fuel prices. At Westminster,
SNP MPs have put forward proposals for a road fuel regulator – a mechanism
which would even out the massive spikes we are currently experiencing.

Commenting, Mr Salmond said:

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

"Rocketing prices are disastrous for the rural economies such as Gordon
where a car is not a luxury - it's a necessity.

"Here in Huntly, prices at already edging above £1.20 and in some parts of
Scotland a litre of fuel is almost £1.30. Filling up a family car now
costs the best part of £100.

"The effects of high fuel taxes also impact on prices in the stores
with costs rising to deliver food and other products to the shops."

Mr Thomson added:

"London politicians simply do not understand the impact rising fuel prices
are having on families and businesses across Scotland. That's why at this
election, if the people of Scotland want to drive down fuel prices,
instead of electing a London politician they must elect a local champion.

"Labour, the Tories and the Liberal Democrats have failed to tackle rising
fuel prices at successive Budgets but they can make amends by supporting
the SNP's call for a road fuel regulator.

"I know the impact rising fuel prices are having in this constituency and
across the country. Driving down prices is essential to Scotland, to
Scotland's economy and to Scotland's families."


Average price of fuel per litre broken down by local authority:

Aberdeen City £1.19
Aberdeenshire £1.18
Angus £1.20
Argyll and Bute £1.20
Clarkmannashire £1.20
Dumfries and Galloway £1.19
Dundee City £1.19
East Ayrshire £1.19
East Dunbartonshire £1.19
East Lothian £1.19
East Renfrenshire £1.19
City of Edinburgh £1.19
Eilean Siar £1.26
Falkirk £1.19
Glasgow City £1.19
Highland £1.21
Inverclyde £1.20
Midlothian £1.18
Moray £1.21
North Ayrshire £1.20
North Lanakshire £1.19
Orkney £1.29
Perth and Kinross £1.19
Renfrenshire £1.16
Scottish Borders £1.22
Shetland £1.30
South Ayrshire £1.20
Stirling £1.20
West Dunbartonshire £1.19
West Lothian £1.21