Chancellor John Healey warned by voters to keep fuel duty freeze in place as pump prices soar

VOTERS have warned Chancellor John Healey to keep the fuel duty freeze in place as prices soar. Sixty-three per cent of Brits demand the rate be kept down as motorists grapple with high pump prices amid the Middle East conflict. Motorists have been facing high pump prices amid the Middle East conflict Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto Brits have warned Chancellor John Healey to keep the fuel duty freeze in place Credit: Alamy Pressure will mount on the Treasury in the run up to the Budget to maintain the freeze following The Sun’s 15-year campaign to help motorists. Mr Healey also faces calls to extend the temporary 5p duty that is due to expire at the end of December. Sign up for the Politics newsletter Thank you! Government documents say they will confirm the final rates at the Budget at the end of October. A breakdown of the figures show 31 per cent strongly support a fuel duty freeze at its current rate with 32 per cent saying they somwhat support keeping the rate as it is. Separately, 55 per cent say fuel duty should be reduced with 24 per cent say it should stay as it is. Ex-Chancellor Rachel Reeves abandoned plans to hike fuel duty by 5p back in May in the aftermath of the Iran war. Petrol hit 161.66p over the weekend as diesel has rocketed by 17p in a month now standing at 182p per litre. A litre of petrol cost just 132.83p on the day the conflict broke out, while diesel cost 142.38p a litre. Most read in The Sun Simon Williams, from the RAC, said: “The price of petrol appears to have finally reached an Iran War peak, having risen 11p over 33 consecutive days. “While prices should fall a little in the coming days, this may be short-lived as the cost of a barrel of oil has climbed almost $10 in the last week towards $90. “The current situation shows just how volatile fuel prices are and how drivers in the UK are at the mercy of global events.” Comment now