Fuel price campaigners in the Western Isles were amazed to discover that a plea they made to Chancellor George Osborne urging him not to increase fuel duty in his Autumn Statement last week was considered as evidence before he did a u-turn and axed the price hike.
FFS – contributors to government policy
A personal letter of thanks has now been sent by the Economic Secretary at the Treasury to the volunteers of Fair Fuel Solutions (FFS), the Stornoway-based campaigners, for putting forward the case to retain fuel duty at the current rate.
In it, Sajid Javid, the MP for Bromsgrove who was recently appointed Economic Secretary at the Treasury, confirmed that the islanders’ plea was used in the decision-making process for the Chancellor’s policy review.
The campaigners had told him back in November that their campaign had focused on profiteering in the supply chain and that persistent highlighting of inconsistencies had led to an Office of Fair Trading survey and that there had been substantial cuts in pump prices as a result of healthy competition prompted by island fuel retailer Gordon Maclennan who had bravely parted company with the dominant distributor.
Letter from the Treasury
It continued: “While our campaign has been successful, albeit in the short-term as we have yet to see whether the OFT will provide adequate safeguards for the future, the gains we have made will be partially negated by your government’s proposed fuel duty increase scheduled for January 1.”
The campaigners urged Mr Osborne to listen to other MPs’ representations, and those from many other parties, because islanders simply could not afford it. At a time when inflation was forecast by the Bank of England to continue to increase and disposable income was already under severe pressure, they stressed that they could not cope with a further increase without cutting back on what is a necessity in remote island communities i.e. fuel.
“Any increase at this time would be punitive for the poorest in the country as we have among the lowest average incomes in the country and also the highest levels of fuel poverty. The impact on islanders would be disproportionately serious. Only by not implementing the increase can you ensure that the weakest in the country are not punished in a disproportionate manner for using a resource that is an absolute necessity, particularly in remoter communities such as ours.”
While they do not want to claim the credit for stopping a UK-wide increase in fuel prices, FFS spokesman Callum Ian Macmillan said he and his fellow campaigners were amazed at the personal response from the Treasury as they had expected one sentence saying their comments had been noted.
He said: “We had already been in touch with a colleague of Mr Osborne and Mr Javid. That was Danny Alexander, who is Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and he is well aware of the work we are doing here to expose the profiteering by big companies and their supporters.
“We have since been in touch with the Treasury as it is vital we keep the Chancellor and his colleagues fully informed of developments as there is some doubt about the willingness of the Office of Fair Trading to mount a forensic investigation into what has been happening here.”
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Well done FFS, generous and well deserved recognition at last!
I wonder if the local media will cover this news?
excellent work, that has demanded huge time and effort….easier sometimes to sit back and accept what’s given in life, but to instigate and pursue truth and fairness demands special qualities. Great to see the ‘old hands’, Calum Ian and Frank but reassuring to see our young people at the forefront, young people who obviously care about their island and the island’s future.
Smaller and rural communities can be the victim of large companies where the take it or leave it attitude can create economic hardship and unsuited developments can flourish.
How refreshing to see these guys, saying enough is enough and were this attitude to percolate through the long island, the economic gloom and doom drum beating would soon cease.
Mr Sam Chambers will now be scrambling to get his lobbyists out treating the treasury and energy ministers to lunch and goodness know what else after realising you now have a direct line to Whitehall. Keep it up chaps. The Treasury is powerful. You are almost making the OFT an irrelevance in this process.
I agree Eric…OFT has been utterly useless in dealing with this! This issue is obvious…pals and chums not competing with each other i.e. a common sought bond to maximize margins!
FFS are doing a tremendous job.
Well done. Keep up the good work guys.
Congratulations to the FFS team, for their recognition. Now any news from our local council leadership ?.
Well done to Calum and his team.
Isn’t it ironic that a conservative chancellor is more willing to listen and assist than a labour chancellor or SNP finance minister.
….just an observation.
What is the reason to celebrate here, the price of petrol should be going up if we have any hope of making our own way in the world once we get rid of the oppressors? It’s me that has the misfortune to live in an appalling age, where things like independence in Europe and same sex marriage can be talked about openly on the wireless and the Hebrew News, along with a picture of the FM (Fat Marag) slugging back the largest noggin of pink gin or aviation fuel I have ever seen. I could tell you of my experiments with aviation fuel during the war, as could some of my business partners who did not go blind, but I wont, because the biscuit has been well and truly taken by the Lochboisdale rent a hen scheme, and some of the letters there from the appeasers and people who have ruined the party of Freedom cannot be believed especially after they have been read. As Donald used to say “This is truly appalling” and I would say now “The end dosent justify the means”. There will be only one end left if all this nonsense of independence in Europe, same sex marriage ( a mechanical impossibility if I know my engines ) and before you know it we will have rent a hen schemes on our own doorstep. Hens on doorsteps are not a good idea, as anyone who has ventured out barefoot in the morning will know.
And I meant to say before the cat dioged the pluc that I am profoundly against Europe and the FM plans to take us in to worship the queen and same sex marriage and free busses. Forget all that nonsense and let us be true to the spirit of Donald and Winnie, who would rather rent a hen than have anything to do with Europe. Let us be free and bring back the merk, groat, bawbee and punnt, no euro or bank of england here!
Highland Fuels delivering to Spar now ? Saw the lorry there on Monday, kinda blows a few conspiracy theories out of the water really !