𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson renewed the government’s war on petrol retailers as she said Rachel Reeves had fired a “shot over the bows” with her warning about profiteering. The Chancellor has sparked widespread anger for suggesting they are “price gouging” while the conflict in the Middle East rages.

Leading retailers have hit out at Ms Reeves while Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has demanded an apology. New evidence shows petrol retailers are not price gouging by rapidly inflating costs. But the Education Secretary appeared to double down on the message today.

She told Sky News’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: “What the Chancellor was doing was sending a clear shot over the bows because we are on the side of the British people.

“There are big cost of living pressures we know that families are facing and that’s why we are taking action.

“What the Chancellor is concerned about, what I’m concerned about, is that where prices rise, those costs are passed on to consumers, but where prices fall, those costs are not always the reduced costs are not always passed on. That’s why it is right.

“The Competition and Markets Authority looks very closely at this. It’s why consumers should have greater choices when they choose which pump to go to.”

Earlier this week Mrs Badenoch told the Express that petrol retailers deserve an apology.

“Whenever you come out with strong statements against any group, you need to make sure that you’ve got the evidence,” she said.

“If there is no evidence of price gouging at petrol stations, then yes, they should apologise, because, again, those are the people who are working hard getting up early in the morning. “You know, they’re being taxed to the hills.

“They’re being blamed for fuel duty price rises, which actually is Rachel Reeves, who’s doing the price gouging.

“She’s the one doing the price gouging.”

The Conservative leader, who is demanding for the looming fuel duty rise to be axed, added: “This is the time for hard nosed, hard thinking, and they’ve just gone soft in the head, as far as I’m concerned. It’s bizarre.”

Reform UK is calling for an emergency halving of VAT on road fuel to ease the “Trumpflation” pain for drivers.

Robert Jenrick said the move would slash 12p a litre off the cost of petrol and 14p off diesel for the next three months.

The proposal is estimated to have a £1.5billion price tag for the Treasury.

Reform’s economic spokesman said: “The rising costs of fuel are really hitting alarm-clock Britain right now.

“The Chancellor is making tens of millions of pounds a week in extra tax revenue as a direct result of the war; the least she could do is lessen the blow.”

Ms Reeves has so far refused to scrap plans to increase fuel duty in September, although she insists they will be kept under review.

She has made clear any bailout for the Middle East chaos will be targeted, arguing she cannot afford to prop up the “wealthy”.

There has been a rapid rise in prices at the pumps since the war in Iran began.

Petrol has risen by 14p a litre since the start of the month and now costs 147.2p per litre on average, according to the RAC. Diesel costs 171.2p, up almost 29p compared with the end of February.

Governments in Portugal, Poland, Ireland and Sweden have all triggered emergency VAT cuts on fuel in recent days.

While India has slashed excise duties on petrol and diesel to protect consumers and curb a potential spike in inflation.