Tayside and Fife MPs are being urged to clarify their views on the best way to tackle rocketing fuel prices.
The Courier canvassed opinion from the region’s politicians after the SNP attacked Labour and Lib Dem MPs for not backing proposals for a fuel duty regulator.
Dundee East MP Stewart Hosie hit out after the SNP and Plaid Cymru used an Opposition Day debate on Monday to demand the Tory-led government fulfil its pre-election pledge to establish the measure.
It gave MPs the chance to discuss the price of fuel ahead of the Budget next month and a planned fuel duty increase in April.
The nationalists’ motion, which won the backing of motoring and industry organisations, was defeated by 303 to 14 votes, with Lib Dem and Tory MPs voting against.
Labour MPs largely abstained, although the Glenrothes MP, Lindsay Roy, who has backed The Courier campaign for fairer fuel, broke ranks to support the motion. He was joined by other Labour MPs Katy Clark, John Cryer, Ian Davidson and Dennis Skinner.
Lib Dem North East Fife MP Sir Menzies Campbell has backed our campaign, but did not support the motion. However, he stressed it was due to the wording of the motion, which criticised the UK Government’s “dithering” on the issue, rather than because he was opposed to a regulator.
Sir Menzies later backed a government amendment which noted it was “considering” such a measure.
But Mr Hosie said, “Scottish MPs who voted against fair fuel prices, or did nothing and abstained, should be named and shamed for letting their communities down. When the country is crying out for action, Lib Dem MPs voted with the Tories against bringing fuel costs down, while 38 Scottish Labour MPs could not be bothered to even turn up.
“It is a total disgrace, and that is why fuel prices will be such a key campaigning issue for the Holyrood elections.”
Mr Hosie added that petrol prices which have reached £1.40 a litre in some areas are “completely unacceptable.”
Sir Menzies attacked the SNP’s tactics but reiterated his support for a regulator.
“We would be better off naming and shaming SNP MPs who seem to live in a parallel universe in which you only have to say something for it to become a reality,” he said. “I support a fuel regulator and a rural area derogation, both of which would have a significant impact on the cost of fuel and are being worked on intensively by the government.
“The SNP are deliberately misrepresenting their own motion to try and embarrass others. It won’t work.”
Mr Roy also repeated his calls for a regulator, saying, “I said I would support The Courier’s campaign and I have done so.
“Like the press, part of my job is to hold the government to account and that’s why I voted the way I did, to keep the pressure on them to fulfil the promises they have made. I understand the government is still looking at the possibility of a fuel duty stabiliser and I think we just need to keep the pressure on them.”
Mr Roy added that there have been “dramatic changes” since 2009, when he voted against SNP amendments to the Labour budget which could have seen a regulator introduced, highlighting the increases in VAT and inflation as reasons for his decision to break ranks this time.
Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath Labour MP Gordon Brown abstained in Monday night’s vote.
Dunfermline and West Fife MP Thomas Docherty, said, “I voted against the government because it has already penalised hard-working families in west Fife with an unnecessary VAT rise that has added 11p a gallon to the price of petrol. That is the real cost of this government and I will continue to oppose the unfair policies of the Conservatives and the Lib Dems.”
Dundee West MP Jim McGovern said he and other Labour members abstained because they believe the proposal is unworkable. Instead, he spoke out against the effect of the VAT rise on fuel prices.
Labour MPs agree the fuel issue is important and must be addressed, but the solution offered by the SNP was impractical and unworkable a view also expressed by a report from the Office of Budget Responsibility.
He believes a debate on the government’s increase in VAT should be the primary topic for debating the increases in fuel prices.
Mr McGovern said, “The decision by the Conservative-led government to raise VAT to 20% has had a terrible effect on fuel prices. It has added an extra 3p to a litre of fuel, and this compares to 1p added by the increase in fuel duty.
“The vast majority of the current increase in the cost of fuel can be directly linked to the VAT increase. It surprised me that the SNP were unwilling to engage on this point, and when they were pressed about how their chosen solution would work in practice they could not give an answer.
“This is an important issue that must be looked into. Badly thought-out solutions will not help.”If you want to support the Courier’s call for a fuel duty regulator, click here to add your name to our petition.