Coalition rebels join cross-party fight to scrap 3p fuel tax rise

The coalition government is facing pressure to scrap the 3p rise in fuel tax later this year, with rebel Conservative and Liberal Democrat backbenchers joining calls for a climbdown.

The SNP has lodged an amendment to the Budget at Westminster which has also attracted support from the Welsh nationalists, Northern Ireland parties and Respect’s George Galloway.

Campaign group FairFuelUK is also backing the move.

The SNP’s Treasury spokesman Stewart Hosie said: “The level of cross-party support for this clause is astonishing and reflects the mood across the country that fuel prices must be brought under control.”

Tory MPs Gordon Henderson (Sittingbourne and Sheppey) and Andrew Percy (Brigg and Goole) are backing the call for their party colleague and Chancellor George Osborne to ditch the rise, along with Lib Dem Mike Hancock and three Labour MPs.

Mr Hosie added: “The lack of action on fuel prices was one of the biggest issues missing in the Chancellor’s Budget. High costs of fuel aren’t just hurting the pockets of hard-pressed householders across the UK, they are hammering businesses and hampering economic recovery.