News / Scott calls for unity on fuel duty
SHETLAND MSP and Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Tavish Scott has called on Holyrood to send a clear message to Westminster that the action must be taken to tackle the soaring cost of fuel at the pumps.
Speaking ahead of Wednesday evening’s debate in the Scottish Parliament for fuel duty, Mr Scott said MSPs must unite behind the three motions on the table.
He said: “The UK government should scrap the planned rise in fuel duty. That was planned before the Middle East went into turmoil and world oil prices soared. The rise is now unaffordable and should go.
“Next, the island fuel discount scheme, which will cut the price of fuel in Shetland by five pence a litre, needs to be implemented as quickly as possible. When I met Danny Alexander, the chief secretary to the treasury, last week, I stressed the vital importance of this. He assured me that he is pushing hard to get the negotiations with Brussels completed so that the scheme can be implemented.
“Last, I hope that all MSPs will back the call for a fuel stabiliser, which would offset rises in the cost of oil by cutting fuel duty. This could be funded by the extra revenue the government gets from the UK oil fields as the oil price rises. Westminster has got to look hard at how this can be made to work.
“A clear message is needed from Holyrood that the ‘do nothing’ option is not acceptable. Across Shetland, across Scotland and across the UK families are being hit hard, as are businesses. Rising oil prices push up cost across the board – at the pumps and in the shops. Action is needed and MSPs of all parties must unite to call for it.”
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