UK petrol retailers claim ‘inflammatory language’ of ministers led to staff abuse | Petrol prices
The UK’s petrol station industry trade body is at loggerheads with the government after claiming “inflammatory language” used by ministers to describe increased pump prices may have encouraged harassment of front-court staff.
The Petroleum Retailers Association (PRA) said ministers had been suggesting for several days that frontbenchers were “inflating prices” and “robbed” drivers as global oil markets surged in response to the war in Iran.
The group expressed its concerns in a statement, saying it had withdrawn from a meeting with Rachel Reeves to discuss the rise in fuel prices and blaming ministers’ “incorrect and provocative” language.
But within hours the PRA, which represents 65% of the UK’s front courts, backtracked on its position and agreed to attend a meeting scheduled for Friday afternoon at 11 Downing Street.
The chancellor, along with energy secretary Ed Miliband, was expected to meet industry leaders and tell them the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) was on “high alert” for any unfair price rises at the pumps.
Fuel retailers have been “informed” amid a wider government crackdown to prevent bosses from increasing profits at the expense of consumers, the CMA said on Thursday. Preliminary owners will be required to submit their revenues, costs and sales data to the watchdog, accelerating a review of fuel industry margins it launched two weeks ago after the conflict.
Fuel prices rose at the fastest pace since 2022 on Friday, reaching an 18-month high after the United States and Israel began airstrikes on Iran almost two weeks ago. Price increases in the global oil market caused gasoline prices to increase by an average of 7.8 pence to 140.6 pence per litre, and diesel prices to increase by 16.8 pence to 159.18 pence.
Miliband told the BBC on Friday that the government would not tolerate profiteering from the conflict and that the CMA was ready to intervene to stop the “robberies”.
The PRA’s chief executive, Gordon Balmer, said this week that “inaccurate and inflammatory” language used to describe the steady rise in pump prices had led to recent abuse of retail staff by the public. Balmer said the abuse may have been “provoked” by using the terms “robbery” and “rent-mongering”.
He added: “Our members work hard in 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, meaning they lose money.”
Miliband’s comments echoed earlier warnings this week from Reeves, who told MPs that the government’s fuel finding service had found some petrol stations were charging “almost 180p per litre, while others were charging less than 130p per litre”.
Balmer said Friday evening talks were “constructive” but there had been no apology from ministers for the “provocative language”.
“The meeting went very well. We had constructive discussions with the government on this issue and we are working in cooperation with them.”
A Treasury spokesman said participants broadly agreed that transparency increases competition and helps consumers find the cheapest prices.
“The chancellor and the energy minister stressed that the government’s fuel discovery program has been accelerated, with more than 90% of the market now covered, and an agreement has been reached that companies will provide more up-to-date information and pricing at more sites,” the spokesman said.
“This means drivers can see where the cheapest fuel is in real time.”
