Politics Home | Rail And Bus Fares Should Be Cut To Protect Public From Iran Petrol Spike, Says Ed Davey

Ed Davey called for emergency 10p fuel duty cut (Alamy)

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Speaking at a press conference in London on Thursday morning, the Liberal Democrat leader said: “The people of Britain didn’t start this war. They didn’t cheer it on, but they are paying the price for it every single day.”

Davey called for rail fares to be reduced by 10 per cent and the cap on bus fares to be lowered from £3 to £1 in a bid to “keep people moving”.

The ongoing war in Iran is putting major pressure on global energy prices. This is largely down to a sharp fall in traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important trading routes, as a result of Iranian threats to attack passing ships. This shipping lane is responsible for a large share of the world’s oil and gas.

The European Commission has this week encouraged people to drive and fly less and work from home, while some states in Australia have made public transport free.

Up to now, however, the UK government has not asked people to change their behaviour. 

Davey today called for the Labour government to “look at” what other countries are doing to support the public with rising costs.

“We are looking at other countries; we can’t do exactly what they do. There’s different issues, there’s different situations, but we’re really being bold about encouraging people to use public transport.”

Davey said the reduction in public transport fares urged by his party today would encourage people “if they can, to shift”.

“But of course, in many parts of the country, many people who can’t shift onto public transport, rural areas, for example, they’ve got no alternative. So we’ve got to help those people. They literally have no alternative.”

The Lib Dem leader also called for the Labour government to cut fuel duty by 10p, to help people who are more reliant on cars.

The average price for a litre of unleaded petrol rose by 20p over March, while diesel prices were up 40p.

Davey said: “People who were already struggling with the cost of living already having real problems making ends meet, now they’re having to find even more money, cut back even more, worry about the cost of driving to the shops or the daily commute, or the school run, and all those self employed and small business owners who have to travel to work, whose vans are their offices already hit by higher tax rises and red tape.”

The Lib Dem leader reiterated his party’s strong opposition to the US decision to attack Iran, and criticised the Conservatives and Reform UK over their calls for the UK to join President Donald Trump’s initial strikes on Tehran, referring to the “Trump, Farage, Badenoch tax”.

On Wednesday, several government measures aimed at tackling the cost of living came into force, including increases to the national living wage and the national minimum wage, support for households using heating oil, and money off energy bills.

The government is also expected to announce further support for households most exposed to rising energy prices in the coming weeks.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will today meet with 35 nations, including France, Germany and Canada, to discuss the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

In a Downing Street press conference on Wednesday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer acknowledged that resuming trade through the vital shipping lane would “not be easy”.