FairFuelUK urges UK to cut fuel duty as oil spikes to $117

FairFuelUK is pressing the UK government to cut fuel duty and launch stronger fuel-price oversight after Brent crude briefly hit $117.64 a barrel on Friday, arguing that transport costs are feeding inflation and squeezing households and businesses.

Why it matters: - FairFuelUK says higher oil prices are pushing up transport costs, which then ripple through supply chains, consumer prices and business costs. - The campaign argues that cutting fuel duty would help motorists, hauliers, farmers, tradespeople and small businesses while easing inflation pressure. - FairFuelUK also wants a faster pass-through of lower wholesale fuel prices to forecourts through a stronger PumpWatch system.

What happened: - FairFuelUK called on the UK government to take urgent action after oil reportedly hit $117 a barrel before falling back to about $113. - Brent rose $2.76 on Friday to $117.64, its highest close since late April, after a tanker attack in the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported via Euronext. - Brent ended October up 13.6%.

The details: - The International Energy Agency’s 2026 crisis tracker shows 98 countries and regions have introduced consumer-support measures, including measures later phased out. - The IEA says 62 countries and regions lowered energy taxes, 42 increased direct support and 27 introduced maximum fuel prices. - Austria cut petrol and diesel taxes and capped retailer margins. - Germany cut petrol and diesel tax. - Ireland extended fuel-excise cuts. - Spain extended VAT cuts on vehicle fuel and suspended hydrocarbon excise duty. - Poland extended fuel-price caps and kept VAT and excise-duty cuts in place. - Howard Cox, founder of FairFuelUK, said countries around the world are cutting fuel taxes, subsidising fuel and capping prices while UK motorists and businesses face high pump costs. - Cox said freezing fuel duty was important, but not increasing a tax is not the same as lowering what families and businesses pay today. - Cox said fuel costs move straight through the supply chain and force higher prices unless firms absorb the increase. - FairFuelUK is calling for an emergency fuel-duty cut, action on diesel costs and a PumpWatch system with “genuine teeth” to ensure motorists see lower prices quickly and transparently when wholesale costs fall. - Cox also said cutting transport costs would reduce pressure across the economy and support growth and lower inflation. - The campaign says it has fought for motorists since 2010 and claims that it has helped save drivers more than £200bn in planned tax hikes in duty and VAT.

Between the lines: - FairFuelUK is trying to frame fuel duty as an inflation tool, not just a motoring tax. - The group is also pointing to other countries to argue that the UK is acting less aggressively than peers on consumer fuel support. - The pitch is political as much as economic: lower pump prices would be a visible relief measure for voters and a cost-cutting move for businesses.

What's next: - FairFuelUK wants the Treasury to move on fuel duty and diesel costs now rather than wait for further oil-price volatility. - The campaign is also pushing for more transparency on retail fuel pricing through PumpWatch. - More pressure on the government is likely if crude prices stay elevated or if forecourt prices lag behind any wholesale declines.

The bottom line: - FairFuelUK is using the oil spike to argue that the UK should join other countries in cutting fuel costs before higher transport prices feed further into inflation.