FairFuelUK hails fuel duty freeze and pushes for wider transport overhaul

FairFuelUK says the Government’s fuel duty freeze helps drivers and businesses, but does not go far enough to tackle high pump prices. Founder Howard Cox is now pressing ministers to back a longer-term transport strategy and meet to discuss measures aimed at growth, affordability and mobility.

Why it matters: - FairFuelUK says freezing fuel duty stops a further hit to drivers, hauliers, farmers, tradespeople and small businesses already facing high petrol and diesel prices. - The campaign says transport costs ripple through haulage, farming, manufacturing, construction and deliveries, raising costs across the wider economy. - Howard Cox frames fuel duty as a cost-of-living issue, not just a motoring issue, and links cheaper fuel to economic growth.

What happened: - FairFuelUK welcomed the Government’s fuel duty freeze on October 28, 2026, but said the decision is not a cut. - Howard Cox, FairFuelUK’s founder, called the freeze a win for sustained campaigning by drivers and businesses. - Cox also called on the Prime Minister, Chancellor and Transport Secretary to meet him after he publishes a 20-year transport and mobility strategy. - FairFuelUK said the strategy will be published in the coming weeks and draws on input from more than 80,000 supporters, drivers and public transit users.

The details: - Cox said keeping fuel duty frozen only prevents the Treasury from making a bad situation worse. - FairFuelUK argues the Government should do more to reduce the burden of high fuel and transport costs on households and businesses. - The campaign cited the IEA 2026 Energy Crisis Policy Response Tracker, which says governments worldwide have adopted measures to respond to the energy crisis. - FairFuelUK said IEA data show 113 countries and the European Commission had introduced policy measures by June 2026, including 55 countries that adopted taxation measures. - Cox rejected the idea that preserving lower fuel duty is simply an Exchequer loss. - The Institute for Fiscal Studies estimated that permanently retaining the full 5p fuel duty reduction would cost about £2.3 billion a year by 2029-30 relative to the forecasts it reviewed. - FairFuelUK is calling for PumpWatch to be given more power and for greater scrutiny across the fuel supply chain. - The campaign also wants targeted fiscal measures to reduce the impact of elevated fuel costs on families and businesses.

Between the lines: - Cox is trying to turn the fuel duty debate into a broader argument about mobility, productivity and national competitiveness. - The push for a 20-year transport strategy suggests FairFuelUK wants to move beyond annual tax fights and shape long-term transport policy. - By citing international energy policy responses, FairFuelUK is arguing Britain is acting too cautiously compared with other countries. - The repeated call for ministerial meetings signals an effort to convert campaign pressure into direct policy influence.

What's next: - FairFuelUK will publish its 20-year transport and mobility strategy in the coming weeks. - Cox wants the strategy judged on its proposals and the economic benefits it could deliver, not on traditional transport or political divides. - Cox is asking ministers to maintain the fuel duty freeze, protect the 5p-per-litre reduction and discuss how transport policy can support growth. - FairFuelUK says it wants government engagement on road transport, affordability, emissions policy, congestion zones and long-term road funding.

The bottom line: - FairFuelUK sees the fuel duty freeze as a start, not the finish. - The campaign is now using the decision to press for a broader rethink of how Britain funds, prices and plans transport.