Campaigners are stepping up the pressure on the government to act on high petrol and?diesel fuel prices.
According to FairFuelUK, many politicians have recently been insisting they are aware of the concerns of people across the UK, the Press Association reports.
The organisation has therefore urged MPs to act on curbing fuel duty, as a new poll has found this is a particularly big issue among the British electorate at the moment. Peter Carroll, organiser of FairFuelUK, commented: "The airwaves have been full of politicians saying they are listening to and engaging with voters.
"They need to start by accepting the results of this massive poll, starting with the fact that fuel duty is the number one issue." Many of those surveyed by FairFuelUK said they do not believe policymakers are in touch with the public sentiment on petrol and diesel prices right now. Meanwhile, 89.3 per cent of respondents said the government is responsible for the continuing increases in the price of fuel. Quentin Willson, a motoring journalist and spokesman for FairFuelUK, said the findings show the British public believe senior politicians and MPs "just don't get fuel duty". Indeed, he argued they are showing people "how removed they are from real life" by failing to act on what he described as one of the UK's "most important social issues".
Mr Willson added that families and businesses are both struggling to meet the costs of running vehicles, while the majority of MPs are failing to "stand up for the people". Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne confirmed in his Budget announcement in March that this August's planned hike in fuel duty will still go ahead, despite extensive lobbying by FairFuelUK and other organisations.
The Road Haulage Association recently called for a cut in fuel duty following confirmation that the UK has slipped back into recession. The body said this move would boost the country's economy, as the savings it would generate could lead to money being invested elsewhere.
