Petrol retailers accuse ministers of ‘inflammatory language’
An oil retailer trade group has accused ministers of using “inaccurate and inflammatory language” that led to abuse towards forecourt staff just hours before a critical meeting with Rachel Reeves.
The Petroleum Retailers Association (PRA), which represents independent petrol retailers large and small across the UK, rejected ministers’ suggestions that there was “rip-off” and “rent-taking” at fuel providers and said there was “still much work to be done to help politicians and commentators understand how the fuel market works”.
The PRA had initially threatened to withdraw from the meeting after the Treasury failed to provide assurances that the meeting would be held privately, without media participation. Independent he understands.
However, they later confirmed they would attend the talks after officials said media would only be present for the first few minutes.
The trade body’s explosive intervention came after Ms Reeves asked the competition watchdog to “get tough” on “rip-off” fuel prices ahead of a planned meeting with energy bosses who she said the government planned to warn against profiteering during the Iran war.
Ahead of the talks, the Chancellor wrote to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) asking it to remain on “high alert” for “unfair” price rises, insisting that firms using the uncertainty in the Middle East to seek undue financial gain “will not be tolerated” as concerns grow about the impact on the cost of living.
“I will not tolerate any company exploiting the current situation to make excessive profits at the expense of consumers. I support drivers and families and expect a fair deal at the pump,” Ms Reeves said.
But in a statement published on Friday, PRA chief executive Gordon Balmer said he had “heard of incidents from our retail staff of some of our members being abused by members of the public, who may have been provoked by the inaccurate and inflammatory language used by some commentators, such as the use of the terms ‘robbery’ and ‘renter-mongering’.”
He added: “Our members work hard under difficult circumstances to ensure drivers and businesses get the fuel they need at very competitive prices, with margins that are razor-thin or, in some cases, negative which means they lose money. “Our job is to serve the public by keeping drivers and businesses on the road.
“Petrol retailers are working closely and effectively with the CMA and DESNZ to roll out the ‘Fuel Finder programme’ which will help motorists find the best value petrol and diesel.
“There is still much work to do to help politicians and commentators understand how the fuel market works, and our door is always open to constructive dialogue.”
The meeting comes as pressure is mounting on the chancellor to postpone a planned increase in fuel duty after the AA warned consumers would be “bothered” by inevitable rising costs due to a rise in global prices.
The Chancellor has faced opposition pressure to abandon his decision to phase out a 5p cut in duty, starting with a 1p increase from September this year.
The Prime Minister has since said the government will keep the situation “under review” in light of the Middle East conflict.
The RAC said earlier this week that diesel prices had risen by around 9 per cent since February 28, while petrol prices had increased by an average of 6 per cent.
