Starmer hints at fuel duty U-turn as Middle East war drives price fears

The premier faced questions on petrol prices during a fiery Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, telling MPs that the planned 5p increase would be "kept under review” until September.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has so far dismissed calls to cancel the planned fuel duty hike, which is due to come in at the end of autumn having been frozen to help drivers with the cost of living.

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But Sir Keir's latest comments suggest another possible U-turn may be on the way.

Asked by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch about the cost of fuel, Starmer responded: "We are not increasing the cost of petrol.

“We are absolutely clear about taking the measures that are necessary to deal with the impact of the conflict in Iran.

"We're dealing with that with other allies, we’re taking the necessary action. But the best thing that we can do is to work with others to de-escalate the situation."

He added: "Fuel duty is frozen. It is going to remain frozen until September. And we will keep the situation under review in light of what is happening in Iran."

The PM later said the Government was "looking carefully at the situation" as the US-Iran war rages on.

Fears over Britain being plunged into a further cost of living crisis have been growing after the price of oil rose by more than 20 per cent to above $100 a barrel and gas rose more than 50 per cent.

But Ms Reeves justified the increase, claiming the fuel duty was already 11p a litre below where they would have been under the plans of the previous Tory government.

Ms Badenoch and Sir Keir locked horns in a feisty PMQs debate, in which the Prime Minister accused her of being the "mother of all U-turns" with regard to whether the UK should be attacking Iran.

Sir Keir said his Tory opposite number "relentlessly” attacked him for refusing to join initial US-Israel strikes, before changing her position.

“Yesterday, in the wake of the economic consequences the leader of the opposition totally abandoned her position,” he said.

“She told the BBC I never said we should join.

"That is the mother of all U-turns on the single most important decision a prime minister ever has to take - whether to commit the United Kingdom to war or not."

He claimed that Ms Badenoch and Nigel Farage had been "spooked" and were now “furiously trying to backpedal” on their stance.

Responding to the possibility that the fuel duty rise may be cancelled, John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance said: "Motorists will be desperately hoping that the prime minister is getting ready to slam the brakes on the planned fuel duty hike.

“Prices at the pump are set to surge over the coming weeks, and yet the government is currently planning to pour petrol on the flames by driving up prices even further.

“The chancellor needs to put taxpayers’ minds at ease by putting a stop to the hike.”