For Immediate Release: Friday 4 March 2011
Attn: NEWSDESKS
POLITICAL CORRESPONDENTS
LIBDEM LET DOWN AS RURAL MAINLAND EXCLUDED FROM RURAL FUEL DISCOUNT
The SNP have questioned the LibDems credentials on fighting rural fuel prices after the Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander re-announced plans for a plot scheme in his conference speech that he had announced at a previous conference.
The SNP has questioned why an application has still not been submitted to the European Commission for a rural areas fuel duty derogation despite the previous announcement.
Commenting SNP Westminster Transport spokesperson Angus MacNeil MP said:
“Danny Alexander made the same announcement in his autumn conference speech last October, it sounded good, but the only thing the Treasury has delivered since then are even higher fuel prices. Just why are they dragging their feet on this policy?
“The Lib Dems need to stop delaying and start delivering for motorists in rural areas. Fuel prices are already so high in the islands a 5p discount will still leave us higher than many areas on the mainland.
“If Danny Alexander wants something new to say in his speech he should commit to cancelling the rise in fuel duty planned next month, and introduce a fuel duty regulator to bring fuel prices down for everyone.”
Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber SNP MSP Fergus Ewing also pointed out that mainland rural Scotland will miss out on the proposed 5p-a-litre rural fuel discount for hard-pressed motorists after Danny Alexander, who lobbied for the scheme in opposition, told a south-west
English paper that it would only apply to islands and that it was up to parts of rural Britain to “make the case” that they should also benefit.
Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, made the admission to the Western Morning News despite the fact he was an opposition MP lobbying for such a scheme to be introduced to cover mainland Highland areas.
However in a speech in the House of Commons on the 4th of July 2006 he talked about “very serious economic impact that higher fuel prices in rural areas have on areas such as the Highlands” and then listed a number of mainland Highland locations suffering from high fuel prices such as Aviemore, Dalwhinnie and Thurso.
Commenting Mr Ewing has said:
“It will be hugely disappointing to all of those on the Highland minland that the promises made by the LibDems for a fuel rebate for rural areas have been ditched.
“It is equally disappointing that attempt to approach to the EU to seek to implement the scheme are dragging on for the many remote communities in the Highlands, where the fuel prices are so much higher than in the central belt.”
ENDS
Notes:
1. Mr Alexander’s comments to the Western Morning News can be read here:
2. Mr Alexander’s speech in the House of Commons on the 4th of July 2006 where he talked about the need for a rural fuel discount in rural areas of the Highlands can be read here:
3. Another occasion where Mr Alexander argued for a discount for rural areas can be heard on this STV News YouTube video:
Highland MP makes fuel plea to government
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