Massive fuel protests now set to hit Britain as farmers plan Irish-style nationwide blockades

James Saunders
Sun, 12 Apr 2026 02:20:06 +0000

Massive fuel protests are now being planned across Britain as diesel prices surge beyond £2 per litre.

Farmers are planning to stage demonstrations similar to those which have paralysed Irish roads over the past week.

Farming groups which have mobilised tens of thousands of demonstrators against Labour's inheritance tax raids are set to meet next week to discuss nationwide fuel price protests, it was revealed last night.

A source involved with the discussions said: "We've hit the £2 mark on a litre of diesel. That's a scary place to be.

"It will be a matter of time before people in this country start to go out and protest," they told The Telegraph.

"Farmers are the last people who want to go out and protest. You have to remember this is a very busy time of the year for us.

"But with the inheritance tax protests, you've got the groups that have been set up. The infrastructure is there to mobilise.

"Discussions have been had, and there will be a few people coming together at the beginning of next week to see what can be done."

The Iran war - which appeared not to have moved closer to peace by Sunday morning - has disrupted global supplies, driving up costs and prices.

Diesel is now selling above £2 per litre at more than 50 filling stations nationwide - and while average prices have not yet reached this threshold, the most expensive forecourts are charging up to £1.99 for petrol and even more for diesel.

Frustration among farmers and hauliers over diesel availability and prices has grown significantly in recent weeks.

Some red diesel suppliers have started rationing deliveries to farmers, with prices now roughly double their pre-war levels.

Red diesel is chemically identical to the normal fuel, but is dyed and taxed at a lower rate so it can be ring-fenced for certain applications like farm machinery.

Ministers were preparing on Friday for mass protests across Britain over the cost-of-living crisis triggered by the Iran war.

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While across the Irish Sea, protests have escalated dramatically, with farmers and truckers blocking major roads over high fuel costs.

The Irish Government was forced to deployed the army to help clear blockades.

While on Saturday, police used pepper spray to remove demonstrators outside the Whitegate refinery in County Cork, which supplies all of Ireland's petrol and diesel.

Industry sources say roughly half of Ireland's 1,200 petrol stations have run dry, with approximately one day left before a complete shutdown hits.

Police said they intervened due to threats to fuel supplies for emergency services, including ambulances and fire services.

Last night, the Irish Government was close to agreeing on a fuel support package following talks with farmer and haulier representatives.

Mainland Britain has not yet seen demonstrations, but Northern Ireland is set to become the first part of the UK to protest, with Tuesday already circled as a "day of action".

The Police Service of Northern Ireland said it was "maintaining an ongoing assessment" over the prospect of fuel protests next week.

On Thursday, 54 UK filling stations were selling diesel above £2 per litre.

The highest price recorded was £2.28 at Mackenzie Stores on the Isle of Skye in Scotland.

Crossapol Filling Station on the Isle of Tiree charged £2.25 per litre, while Cuxton Auto Services in Kent reached £2.18.

The largest price increase since the war began was at Grade Filling Station in Redcar, North Yorkshire, where diesel rose 74p to £1.80 since February 27.