I am joining Kemi Badenoch in sounding the alarm about the damaging impact Labour’s planned fuel tax increases will have on rural communities like those I represent in Thirsk and Malton.
Rural households are significantly more reliant on cars due to limited public transport options, leaving them far more exposed to rising fuel costs. In constituencies like mine, driving is not a luxury. It is an absolute necessity for work, healthcare, education and daily life.
Farmers across North Yorkshire are especially at risk. Labour’s planned increase in red diesel duty widely used in farming, means that by March 2027, farmers could face an approximate 10 per cent rise in costs. This represents a substantial burden for those already grappling with soaring fertiliser prices and the looming impact of the Family Farm Tax.
At the same time, many rural households have already been hit by sharp increases in heating oil prices due to global instability, compounding the pressure on hardworking families.
The Conservative Party is also committed to tackling rural crime, which continues to plague our communities, through our action plan to strengthen policing and protect livelihoods in the countryside.
Labour simply don’t understand rural communities. If they did, they would never have introduced the deeply unpopular Family Farm Tax, which we Conservatives will overturn as soon as we return to Government.
Now, at a time when fuel and agricultural costs are already rising, they are pressing ahead with higher taxes on red diesel. Farmers in places like Thirsk and Malton cannot afford to pay nearly ten per cent more for the fuel they depend on every single day.
This is a direct hit on rural Britain, on farmers, small businesses, and families who have no alternative but to drive.
That is why the Conservative Party is calling on the Government to scrap this planned rise in fuel duty. We also urge immediate action to support households by delivering our Cheap Power Plan, which would cut electricity bills by 20 per cent.
Rural communities must not be treated as an afterthought. They deserve fairness, support, and a Government that understands how they live and work.”
Kemi Badenoch, Leader of the Conservative Party, added:
"Labour don’t get rural communities. If they did, they would never have introduced the hated Family Farm Tax, which Conservatives have been clear we will overturn as soon as we are back in Government.
But it doesn’t stop there. This latest fuel tax hike shows a complete disregard for the realities of rural life where people have no choice but to drive longer distances, where farmers rely on red diesel to keep their businesses running, and where rising costs are already stretching families to breaking point.
At a time when households are facing higher energy bills, higher food prices, and ongoing economic uncertainty, the last thing they need is yet another tax increase from a Government that simply doesn’t understand how they live.
Conservatives will continue to stand up for rural communities, back British farmers, and fight for lower taxes, cheaper energy, and a stronger economy that works for every part of our country, not just the cities."
